GUMLA: Panchayat members in Jharkhand’s Gumla district allegedly tried to hush up the rape of a 3-year-old girl after accepting Rs 20,000 from the teenage suspect’s family as “spot penalty” and using the cash to organise a feast.The suspect allegedly raped the toddler on July 11 after offering to look after her while her mother stepped out on an errand.A local jury within the panchayat convened on Sunday against the mother’s wishes and fixed Rs 1 lakh as fine, with 20% meant to be paid upfront to the members and the remainder to the survivor’s family within a week. The panchayat representatives then allegedly spent their share on food and drinks, the child’s kin alleged. A police team visited the village in the evening and arrested the suspect. “The survivor was medically examined twice. The toddler and her mother’s statements will be recorded on Tuesday,” police officer Mohan Kumar Singh said.The officer recommended a magisterial probe to verify whether panchayat representatives attempted to shield a suspect in a Pocso case in return for cash. A committee consisting of representatives of the district child welfare committee, district legal services authority and the local circle officer will visit the village on Tuesday to separately probe allegations about some panchayat members organising a feast with that money.“The administration has already set up an inquiry led by district panchayati raj officer Shishir Kumar Singh and BDO Sushil Khakha to probe all aspects of the alleged crime,” Gumla DC Dileshwar Mahto said.
