Four men allegedly raped a minor girl in a Chhattisgarh village; the panchayat tried to hush up the matter and directed the accused to pay the survivor monetary compensation Rs 1 lakh, police said on July 12, Tuesday.
The police took suo moto action and arrested the accused after they learnt about the crime which happened on July 9 in the Kansabel police station area of Jashpur district.
The accused persons intercepted the 16-year-old who was returning from a wedding and took her to a nearby forest and raped her, Jashpur Additional Superintendent of Police Pratibha Pandey said.
She added that the villagers called a panchayat the day after the incident came to light and attempted to settle the issue.
"After the accused admitted to the crime before the panchayat, they were directed to pay Rs 1 lakh to the victim as compensation. The accused gave Rs 10,000 and assured to give the remaining amount later, she said.
The police, upon receiving information about the incident, recorded statements of the survivor and her father and registered a case against the accused on Monday.
Villagers who tried to hush up the matter will also be arrested following the investigation, Pandey said.
