After battling for life in hospital for 13 days, the 17-year-old girl who was gang-raped in Orissa’s Rayagada town on January 2 evening, died at a private hospital at Visakhapatnam on Tuesday.
“Despite all efforts by the doctors at Care Hospital, Visakhapatnam, the girl passed away at about 3.45 pm on today,” Rayagada district collector S.S. Padhi told reporters.
The orphan girl, unable to bear the ignominy, had tried to immolate herself and had suffered over 75 per cent burn injuries.
According to police, on January 2 evening the girl was forcibly taken away by four miscreants to a nearby jungle when she was returning home from work and raped.
The rapists had even tried to kill the girl by strangulation to avoid their identification. When she fainted, the accused left the spot thinking her to be dead.
However, after she regained sense the girl returned home and the next day she tried to commit suicide by setting herself on fire. She was first admitted to the district headquarters hospital and later referred to Visakhapatnam.
The girl was staying with her grandmother.
All the four accused have been arrested and currently lodged in Rayagada jail.
“Four youths have been arrested and lodged in jail. We will submit the charge-sheet within 30 days of the incident,” Rayagada superintendent of police Rajesh Pandit said.
Meanwhile, chief minister Naveen Patnaik announced an ex gratia of `lakh for the next of the kin of the victim.
The chief minister also announced that stringent actions would be taken against the accused
“My deepest condolences are for the family of the victim. The culprits of the heinous crime would face stringent actions,” the chief minister said.