A month-and-a-half after a schoolgirl was reportedly raped in Betul,her mother was allegedly shot dead by the accused and his friends on Friday night. No arrests have been made so far. Imarti Uike,a 45-year-old tribal woman,had refused to withdraw the case related to the alleged rape of her 16-year-old daughter and had filed a written complaint about the repeated threats being faced by her family. Late on Friday,when the family of six was preparing to retire for the night,six persons,including Raju Gavli the main accused in the rape case his brother Bantu,Rajesh Harode,Praveen and two others,reportedly entered their house in Hamlapur locality. The 16-year-old girl,her father and three brothers were present when the accused reportedly shot Imarti,who had refused to agree to a compromise in the rape case. She was rushed to a hospital where she died during treatment late in the night. While Gavli was never arrested,his female relative Rani,who was reported to have lured the girl to an abandoned house when she was on her way home from school on February 10,was released on bail a fortnight back. The victims brother had seen her being taken away,and led his mother to the abandoned house. DSP Satish Mishra admitted that Imarti had filed a complaint against Rajesh Harode,a criminal,for threatening her and trying to force her to withdraw the rape charges against his friend Raju Gavli. Police said they had made an attempt to take Harode into custody,but didnt succeed. The son of a forest official,Harode was disowned by his family for his criminal activities.
