Jharkhand, March 25: A rape accused tried to take his life by slitting his throat fearing arrest by police. The incident took place in Barkela village under Chaibasa muffasil police station (PS) in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand on Wednesday, the police said on Thursday.
Sonaram Gope, in his late twenties, had been absconding since a case (No: 161/20) on charges of raping a minor girl was lodged against him in Chaibasa muffasil PS in November last year.
“Rape accused Sonaram Gope tried to slit his throat after locking himself in a room in his house in Naxal-hit Barkela village under Chaibasa muffasil PS when a police team reached the village with the dakua (village head). Police rescued him by breaking open the door of the room and rushed him to Chaibasa Sadar Hospital (CSH). He was then taken to Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College and Hospital (MGMMCH) in Jamshedpur and was later referred to Ranchi RIMS,” Dilip Xalxo, Chaibasa (Sadar) sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), said.
The SDPO said Sonaram was wanted under POCSO Act for raping a minor girl in November last year and had been absconding for the past four months.
“The court has also issued an attachment warrant against him. But he was dodging the police all this while. On a tip-off, the police team went to arrest him on Wednesday. The area is highly sensitive because of the presence of Naxals and he was exploiting this. He is, however, out of danger now according to the doctors,” added Xalxo.
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On the other hand, Sonaram accused the police of entrapping him in a fake rape case. “I was being harassed by the police continuously. I am not involved in any rape case, including the case that has been lodged against me. The police have trapped me in a fake case. I was so panicked that I decided to take my life when I saw the police in the village arrest me,” Sonaram alleged.
SDPO Xalxo said no rape accused admit their crime. “Does any accused say that he has raped, murdered, or stolen things when they are arrested? However, we have all the records and evidence against Sonaram,” asserted Xalxo.
