Take Rs 50,000: UP panchayat tells girl to settle rape case

A panchayat in Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj district has asked a minor girl who was allegedly raped by a boy from her village to settle the matter with him by taking Rs 50,000 from him and hitting him five times with a shoe.

Not satisfied with the panchayat's decision, the girl's family lodged a police complaint, officials said.

The mother of the girl, a resident of Kothibhar police station area, complained to the village panchayat on June 23 about the alleged rape of her daughter. The panchayat asked the girl to settle the matter with the boy accused of raping her by taking Rs 50,000 from him and slapping him five times with a shoe in front of the village council, the police officials said.

On June 25, the girl's family lodged a complaint at Kothibhari police as they were not satisfied with the panchayat's decision, they said.

After news about the panchayat's decision went viral on social media, Maharajganj Superintendent of Police Pradeep Gupta on Tuesday directed officials to get the girl's medical examination done and record her statement.

"If rape is reported in the medical test, a case will be registered under the relevant provisions of law and further action will be taken," he said.