Panchayat punishes man with fine, sit-ups for rape. He instead set the victim on fire

CHATRA: An 18-year-old woman was set ablaze on Friday after she was allegedly raped on the previous night in Chatra district in Jharkhand. The woman is critical and is battling for life at a hospital with 98 per cent burns. The man who is accused of the crime is on the run. 

The incident took place in Rajakendua village under Itkhori police station in Chatra district, nearly 160 km from state capital Ranchi. According to reports, the girl was abducted by four youths from near her house and raped when her family members had gone to attend a marriage. The woman's family lodged a complaint with the local panchayat about the incident.

The villagers had convened a panchayat and imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 on the accused. The panchayat had also ordered the accused to do 100 sit-ups before it. However, the accused reportedly refused to obey the panchayat directive and instead barged into the house of the woman, along with his friends. They assaulted her parents before allegedly setting her on fire. 

A police team rushed to the spot and took the woman to a hospital.

Police are investigating if the woman was in a relationship with the accused. They also said that they are probing the case from all possible angles. A case has been registered and a hunt has been launched to apprehend the culprit. The four youths have been named accused in the case.

In another rape incident in Palamau district, the village Panchayat asked the rape accused to pay Rs 15,000 to settle the issue. A minor was allegedly raped by her maternal uncle in the district on Wednesday night when she had gone to her maternal uncle's house to attend a marriage.

The victim returned home on Thursday and informed her family members. The issue was taken to the village Panchayat which asked the maternal uncle to pay the fine.