Chhattisgarh Police Accused Of Bribe & Cock Demand In Rape Case, Former CM Bhupesh Baghel Highlights Issue

Raipur: A man of Pahari Korwa, Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) was allegedly harassed for filing a complaint in his wife sexual assault case. Police was alleged of demanded Rs 5000 and a cock for lodging FIR in the case, and the incident occurred in Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai’s native district, got highlighted when Chhattisgarh former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel posted the grievance of the tribal man on X (formerly Twitter).

The tweet states, “See what is happening with a tribal under the rule of a tribal Chief Minister. Chhattisgarh Police is demanding a cock and five thousand rupees for filing a report on the rape of a Korwa tribe’s wife. One has to pay the vehicle fare for investigation and making a statement himself.”

He further writes, “And the victim families are from Korwa tribe which is a protected tribe and are considered as adopted children of the President of India.”

Tagging Union Home Minister Amit Shah, he urged to intervene in the matter and as soon as possible the Home Minister of the state, has proved to be a failure.

As per the incident, in Jashpur, Chhattisgarh, the husband of a rape victim has alleged that police officials demanded a bribe of ₹5,000 and a chicken in exchange for registering his wife's complaint. According to the husband, his wife was raped on December 2, and when he approached the Pandrapath police outpost to file a case, the officer-in-charge allegedly demanded money and a chicken.

The husband claimed to have paid ₹500 to the officer, after which his wife was taken to Bagicha Hospital for a medical examination. He further alleged that the next day, during a second medical examination, he had to spend ₹1,500 to hire a vehicle to transport his wife to the hospital.

Adding to his grievances, the complainant stated that the outpost officer took ₹500 in cash and a chicken worth ₹600. The husband said, "I belong to a special backward tribe. I had mortgaged my land for ₹10,000, of which ₹9,000 was already spent. Despite this, the officer extorted money and a chicken from me.”

The husband reported these allegations to Jashpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Shashimohan Singh, who has dismissed the claims as possibly instigated by someone. SP Singh stated, “Prima facie, it appears to be a case of provocation. However, the allegations against the officer are being investigated, and appropriate action will be taken if found guilty.”

The case itself involves a 29-year-old married woman who reported to the Pandrapath outpost on December 3, stating she was raped on December 2. The police registered a case under Section 64 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and the accused has since been arrested.