Jharkhand: Minor rape victim in Hazaribag dies of pregnancy complications

HAZARIBAG: A 16-year-old pregnant student enrolled in Class IX of a govt residential school in Hazaribag district died late at night on Friday when she was being taken to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims) in Ranchi after reportedly suffering from medical complications, police said on Saturday.
"She was allegedly raped, leading to her pregnancy.Further probe is on and a hunt is underway to arrest the accused," a policeman said.
According to the FIR filed in connection with the death, the victim had met one Rupesh Ram on a social media platform about two years ago. The accused allegedly lured her with the promise of marriage and sexually harassed her. He continued to sexually abuse her at various locations over the course of four months.
When she became aware of her pregnancy on December 19, 2023, and asked the accused to marry her, he refused. The minor girl then informed her parents and approached police on March 19, 2024. The local police, however, refused to lodge her complaint, saying the crime happened outside their jurisdiction. Later, an FIR was lodged on March 28, 2024, after the intervention of a police officer.
Another policeman said, "The minor girl's condition deteriorated while she was admitted to the Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital, Hazaribag, around a fortnight ago. She was referred to Rims, Ranchi, but unfortunately succumbed on the way. Her body was brought back to Hazaribag for the post-mortem."
"We have launched a drive to apprehend the culprit, against whom a case has been registered under Section 376 and various other sections of the IPC," he added.
Hazaribag SP Arvind Kumar Singh has ordered a detailed investigation into the matter.