The victim, a 15-year-old NEET aspirant from Bihar was allegedly raped, filmed and later blackmailed inside a hostel in Rajasthan coaching hub Kota.
Kota (Rajasthan): A 15-year-old NEET aspirant from Bihar was allegedly raped multiple times by a tiffin boy inside a hostel in coaching hub Kota and blackmailed by proprietor, police said on Friday. Officials said both accused have been arrested following a complaint by the victim.
In her complaint to the police, the minor victim, a resident of Bihar– who had been living with her sister in the hostel for coaching students in Rajasthan’s Kota district– alleged that she was repeatedly raped by the tiffin boy while the hostel owner warned her of dire consequences if she disclosed the incident.
Citing the victim’s complaint, a senior official said the tiffin boy visited her room to deliver food and had become acquainted with her. Taking advantage of this newfound acquaintance, the tiffin boy in February tempted her to drink liquor and raped her when she became inebriated. He had also filmed the act.
The tiffin boy then used the video to blackmail and rape her another six to seven times, the survivor alleged in her complaint, Superintendent of Police (Kota City) Sharad Choudhary told news agency PTI.
When the survivor approached the hostel owner for help, he first tried to convince her to marry the tiffin boy. However, when she turned down the offer, the hostel owner warned the survivor that any step would bring the matter to the knowledge of her family and “disgrace” their name, she said.
The hostel owner also accused the survivor of enticing the tiffin boy, she alleged.
On the basis of the complaint, the police lodged a case of rape and blackmail against the tiffin boy under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and the IT Act, Choudhary said.
The hostel owner was booked for conspiracy under sections of the IPC, POCSO Act and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, he said.
The two accused were arrested on Friday and an investigation is underway, Choudhary added.
Kota suicides
Kota, renowned as a coaching hub which is thronged by students from the across the country, has gained notoriety in recent years due to mounting number of suicides by teenage students, especially those preparing for competitive examinations like NEET, JEE, among others.
As many 26 student suicides have been reported in Kota so far this year. In a bid to curb this disturbing trend, the Rajasthan Government has recently installed spring-loaded fans in hostels and PG accommodations.
(With PTI inputs)