Rape accused dies before arrest in Muzaffarpur

Patna: The main accused in the rape of a 12-year-old girl in Muzaffarpur district died under suspicious circumstances before he could be arrested on Sunday, police said. His family allegedly cremated the body without informing the police.

The girl was allegedly lured away on April 9 by two women known to her family and taken to a rented house, where she was raped by the 28-year-old accused, a neighbour, police said. She was allegedly given medication to keep her quiet. When her condition worsened, those involved fled. She was later found and taken to hospital, and remains under treatment at a hospital.

Three women were arrested after the girl’s mother lodged a complaint on April 10.

City SP Mohibullah Ansari said, “After the incident, police examined the CCTV cameras installed at and around the crime scene. This led to the identification of the accused. When police reached the accused's house after verifying his name and address, it was found that he had already died. His family members also performed the cremation.”

He added, “The investigation is underway on the point of whether the death occurred due to heart attack or the person died by suicide.”

Police said they visited the cremation ground, but found only ashes.

SHO Pankaj Kumar said, “The 3 arrested women have been identified as Komal, Sudha and Gudiya. The heinous crime was carried out in Komal's house.”

He added, “In the initial police investigation, it was found that all three women are connected to a large prostitution racket. The police are probing their network.”