Man charged with rape commits suicide in India

Patna: An undertrial in Bihar charged with rape died after setting himself on fire in a prison toilet.

The accused was lodged in the Hilsa sub-divisional jail in central Bihar’s Nalanda district for more than two years.

Jail officials said Ajay Chaudhary poured kerosene on himself and set himself on fire in the jail toilet on Thursday morning.

He suffered 60 per cent burns. He was rushed to a nearby government hospital and eventually moved to Patna Medical College and Hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries.

Chaudhary was arrested in August 2011 on a complaint filed by a woman who was a tenant in his relative’s house. In her complaintn, the woman accused the victim of raping her. Subsequently, he was sent to jail as the case remained pending the court of the additional district and mater sessions judge, Biharsharif.

The victim family members said the victim was innocent and committed suicide out of sheer frustrations.

This is the first time in recent months that any alleged rapist has committed suicide.

Earlier, two girls in Bihar had committed suicide unable to bear repeated physical harassment. Last month, a 14-year-old girl had committed suicide in Muzaffarpur district after a teacher in Madarsa (Muslim seminary) tried to molest her. Prior to that, a class VII girl student had burnt herself to death in Patna district following constant harassing by local youths.