It's like a horror story from medieval times, but it happened in the 21st century. A 16-year-old girl, not wanting to get married so early in life, turned down an alliance with the 28-year-old man who had come to 'see' her. She wanted to study further. This enraged H. Rama, who extracted a barbaric revenge. The young girl was allegedly kidnapped and repeatedly raped by him to get her to agree to the marriage. Rama then told her father and brother that they had no option but to get her married to him since she has been raped and no one else would marry her. He made all sorts of threats if they didn't approve of the marriage.
The girl and her parents have approached the police with a complaint against Rama, his father and brother. The victim, a native of Karekallupalya village in Magadi Taluk of Ramnagar district is studying PUC in a government college and resides in a government-run women's hostel in Yelechenahalli on Kanakapura Road. A few days ago, Rama called her on her mobile phone and told her to meet him at the city market or else he would get her parents killed. Fearing for her parents' safety, the young girl rushed to the market. Rama ordered her to follow him if she wanted her parents to be safe.
He then made her board a private bus to Yediyur and from there took her in an autorickshaw to his relative's house in Bellagundha village. When she asked why she was brought to an unknown place, Rama replied that since she refused to marry him, there was no other alternative. Meanwhile, the girl's parents had reported the kidnapping to the police. On hearing of this, Rama instructed his associates to kill her parents and himself raped the girl in his relative's house.
He kept her locked in a room for several days and raped her repeatedly. It was only when the girl managed to find her mobile phone in the house one day that she called her uncle and told him what had happened. He came and rescued her. Rama and his brother Cheluvaraju carried on their vendetta by allegedly attacking the girl's aunt Bhagyamma who had supported the girl's decision not to get married at an early age.
Rama’s father Hanumaiah is also alleged to have threatened the girl's parents to get her married to his son since she has been raped and nobody would now want to marry her. A case against Rama, his brother and father have been registered in the office of the South division's Deputy Commissioner of Police since the hostel where she stays is in the said jurisdiction. Rama has been booked for rape, kidnap, threatening etc, the police said.
The police complaint was not made immediately as the girl was scared of the threat to her life and that of her parents. But when the threats and intimidation continued, they registered the complaint and the mandatory medical examination has been carried out. “We are in the process of going through the time line from when the victim has been physically abused. We are also trying to ascertain why she delayed informing the matter even though it is a very serious case. She will also be taken to the house where she is said to have been locked and repeatedly raped,” an investigating officer said.
It is often said that an insensitive criminal-justice system adds to the trauma of the victim, and one can only hope this is not the case for this minor girl who has been through a harrowing experience.