Woman dies by suicide in MP, kin allege rape

A relative of the woman said her husband came to know about the alleged assault after a villager informed him that obscene photos of his wife were being circulated on WhatsApp.

Published on: Nov 7, 2021, 04:33:23 IST

By Shruti Tomar, Hindustan Times, New Delhi

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A 20-year-old woman died by suicide in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena district, with her family alleging that she was raped and the images of the assault were circulated, which prompted her to take the extreme step. The police, however, said that they had no information about the sexual assault.

A relative of the woman said her husband came to know about the alleged assault on Thursday after a villager informed him that obscene photos of his wife were being circulated on WhatsApp.

“My brother asked her about the photos, she told him that a labourer raped her a few weeks ago. She didn’t inform anyone about the assault due to social stigma. On Tuesday, the labourer came to her house with two others and tried to assault her again. When she foiled their bid, he circulated the images of the assault,” the woman’s brother-in-law said.

The police maintained that they were carrying out a thorough investigation. “We came to know about the suicide of the woman but didn’t receive any information of rape,”Bagchini police station in-charge Praveen Tripathi said.

If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More