In a village in the Bijnor district in Uttar Pradesh, an eight-year-old boy was raped by his cousin. The village Panchayat levied a fine of Rs 1 lakh and decided that four slaps will be enough to settle the case.
The family of the rape survivor had not filed any complaint and the matter was decided by the local Panchayat. The minor boy was admitted to the nearby hospital in Noorpur Bijnor.
“The matter pertains to the same family. We had gone to the village but the victim’s family refused to file the complaint. We don’t know about panchayat and its decision. It’s not legal,” said Nehtapur SHO, Jai Kumar. However, a senior officer assured me that necessary action will be taken in the matter.
As per the villagers, the accused lured his eight-year-old cousin to a field on the village outskirts and raped him. Some passersby heard the cries of the survivor and took him to the village.
