Salumbar, Rajasthan - Villagers from Balua and Sadkadi, under Semari Tehsil in Salumbar district have raised serious allegations against the cops at Sarada Police Station. On Tuesday, over 200 villagers gathered at the district headquarters and protested outside the SP office to demand justice, accusing the police of attempting to pass off a grave murder case as a suicide.

The incident began on July 31, 2024, when 17-year-old Deepa Kumari Meena (name changed) from Balua village was found dead under suspicious circumstances. Deepa's sister was the first to discover her hanging from a cot rope and immediately informed the police. Although the police arrived at the scene and conducted a preliminary investigation, the family claims that the police misled the investigation by treating the case as a suicide.

Deepa’s father stated that his daughter was murdered after being raped. Villagers have alleged that local residents Pappu alias Kalu and Mahendra Damor are responsible for the incident. According to the father, Pappu, a habitual offender, had been harassing Deepa for a long time and was present at the scene on the day of the incident.

The father recounted that when he arrived at the scene in a distraught state, police officers from Sarada Police Station arrived there. The officers took photographs, videos, and created a site map before removing the rope from Deepa's body and taking her for a post-mortem. They also made him sign blank papers. Despite the family's insistence that Pappu and Mahendra were involved in the rape and murder, the police did not file an FIR, instead registering the case as a suicide and attempting to dismiss the murder as a suicide.

It was reported that both Pappu and Mahendra were called in for questioning by the police, with Pappu being held in custody while Mahendra was released. When confronted by the villagers, Mahendra defended himself by admitting that Pappu had been after the victim for three years and had entered the house when she was alone. Pappu, known to be a habitual drug user, allegedly raped the minor before killing her in fear of being exposed. To cover up the crime, they staged the scene to make it look like a suicide.

The villagers have questioned the police's actions, stating that the post-mortem report ignored key facts and that the police are trying to disguise the murder as a suicide. They have demanded a fair investigation and have decided not to cremate the victim’s body until proper action is taken. Instead, the body has been buried to allow for a possible scientific re-examination.

Narendra Joshi, an activist and advocate representing the victim's family, stated that the Sarada Police Station officers are intent on registering the case as a suicide despite clear evidence suggesting otherwise. In the tribal regions of the Udaipur division, incidents of people being killed and hanged to stage suicides are reportedly common. However, the lack of police action emboldens the perpetrators, leading to a rise in such crimes.

Joshi emphasized the need for a thorough scientific post-mortem and a comprehensive investigation to uncover the truth in this case of rape and murder.

Villagers pointed out that the victim was just 17 years old, with no economic, social, or domestic responsibilities, nor any signs of depression that could lead to suicide. The refusal of Sarada Police Station to file an FIR has created an atmosphere of anger, fear, and insecurity in the entire village, prompting the villagers to protest.