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As the nation rages over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, a 14-year-old girl lost her life after being allegedly raped by her school teacher in Uttar Pradesh's Sonbhadra district.
The minor victim, a resident of a village in Duddhi of Sonbhadra, died late on Tuesday at the Banaras Hindu University Hospital in Varanasi, where was undergoing treatment for the last 20 days.
The accused -- Vishambar -- worked as a sports instructor at the victim's school and had called her participate in a sports event on December 30, 2023. He reportedly then took her to his house and raped her.
The accused is still on the run and efforts to nab him are underway.
According to a NDTV report, the family said that the teen girl didn't tell them about the incident in fear of being publicly shamed, noting that her health started deteriorating after the incident.
The victim to sent visit her relatives in Chhattisgarh, where she also underwent treatment but her condition continued to remain the same. Later, she finally told her aunt about what had happened to her, following which she was admitted to the hospital.
The accused had reportedly even paid Rs 30,000 to the victim's family to remain silent.
They said that they feared public and hence, did not report the matter to the police. But on July 10, with the worsening of the victim's health, her father filed a formal complaint with the police.
Based on the complaint, a case was registered against Vishambar under the POCSO Act, police said.
A senior official noted that two teams have been formed to track Vishambar -- a Balia resident -- down and arrest him. "The accused will be arrested soon," he assured.
The incident comes to light amid the nationwide outrage over the rape and murder case of the 31-year-old trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Protests and strikes by doctors and civilians alike have been taking across the country, demanding justice for the victim.
