Rajkot: A former sarpanch of Vadod village in Jasdan taluka of Rajkot, allegedly died by suicide on Thursday, months after he was released on bail in a rape case.Malabhai Chava, 65, reportedly consumed poison at his house, police said.Three months ago, a married woman from the same village had filed a rape complaint against Chavda, following which he was arrested and spent a month in jail. After being released on bail, he had been living at his farm in Vadod.The deceased’s daughter-in-law, 34-year-old Bharti, has now filed a complaint at Jasdan police station against the same woman, her husband, and two other villagers, for driving Chavda to take the drastic step.They have been booked for suicide abetment and other sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with sections of the Atrocities Act.In her complaint, Bharti alleged that Chavda was subjected to mental harassment by the accused, who allegedly recorded a video of him and threatened to falsely implicate him in other criminal cases. This prolonged psychological pressure is believed to have driven him to take the extreme step.On June 25, a day before the suicide, Chavda had informed his daughter-in-law that he had a scheduled court appearance at the Rajkot sessions court on June 26. Later that morning, the family received news that he had consumed poison. He was rushed to the Jasdan hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.Family members told police that Chavda had confided in them about the rape allegation being a conspiracy, orchestrated jointly by the complainant, her husband, and the two other accused. They also alleged that the complainant had extorted nearly Rs 1 lakh from Chavda earlier. The police are investigating the allegations.
