Rape victim tries to commit suicide inside court building

A 37-year-old rape victim today attempted suicide by consuming poison inside a court building here, police said.

The woman attempted suicide, as she was apparently intimidated by the family members and friends of the accused to change her statement in the court, police said.

Nadiad (town) police said that the victim had lodged a complaint on July 29, 2012 that one Ditesh Patel had allegedly raped her.

As per the complaint, the woman and Patel had got close to each other after they had met at a petrol pump. They had an affair for about a year and were into physical relationship.

But, she filed a complaint against the accused in July last year and the accused was immediately arrested by the police. "Within five days of the offence being registered, we arrested the accused and produced him before the court," Nadiad (town) Police Inspector Gurpreet Singh told PTI.

However, the court later released the accused on bail, Singh added. According to police, the victim had also attempted suicide before she filed the complaint.

Today, even though there was no hearing in the case, the woman came to the court and attempted suicide by consuming poison (phenyl mixed with rat killer). She was rushed to a local hospital and is now undergoing treatment, they added.
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Hearing in the case is scheduled for March 30, victim's counsel Bharat Patel told PTI. Taking note of the incident, police have initiated an investigation into it.

This is the third instance in the last two months when a rape victim has tried to commit suicide inside the court building in the state.

On January 23 this year, a gang-rape victim had attempted suicide by consuming a poisonous substance at the metropolitan court premises here, alleging 'delay' in justice.
The girl, who worked with a garment firm in Amraiwadi here, had filed a complaint with police in 2008 alleging gang-rape by the firm owner and three others in 2007, with the help of three of her female colleagues at the shop.

On February 26 this year, a 26-year-old woman had tried to take the extreme step by consuming poison inside the court room of Justice Ashish Desai in Gujarat High Court after the day's proceedings were adjourned as the lawyer of the accused was on a sick leave.