Chhattisgarh Girl Dies by Suicide After Shoplifting Accusation; Three Booked

A 17-year-old girl was found dead at her home in Chhattisgarh’s Baikunthpur, police said. Her family alleged that she died by suicide after supermarket owners accused her of shoplifting. The incident began on July 7 when the girl visited a supermarket with her sister to buy household items. Police said the supermarket owners accused the sisters of stealing cosmetics even before they left the store. The owners allegedly forced them to sign a written statement admitting theft and seized their scooter. The family claimed that the owners demanded ₹50,000 before returning the scooter. Police have launched an investigation and recorded statements from the family members.

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Girl Dies by Suicide After Alleged Shoplifting Accusation in Baikunthpur

Police identified the accused supermarket owners as Deepak Vaid, Vinod Vaid, and Jagat Vaid. Officials said the sisters did not immediately inform their family about the alleged incident. Instead, they contacted an assistant sub-inspector known to them and sought help. The ASI reportedly contacted the supermarket owners and asked them to return the scooter. However, the owners allegedly said that the vehicle was kept elsewhere and could be collected the next morning. The girl’s father, who works as a police constable, visited the supermarket on Wednesday. He alleged that the owners again demanded ₹50,000 for releasing the scooter.

The girl allegedly died by suicide on Wednesday evening inside the kitchen of her home. Her father said he had gone to a bus stand to receive his wife when the incident happened. Police superintendent Ravi Kumar Kurre said the girl became depressed after the shoplifting accusation and pressure over the scooter. He said she did not inform her father because she feared that he would scold her. Kurre stated that supermarket owners had no authority to seize the scooter. He said they should have informed police instead of taking action independently. Investigators are now checking whether the accused used threats or unlawful pressure.

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Cyber Forensic Team Examines CCTV Footage at Sealed Supermarket

Police registered a case against the three supermarket owners after receiving the family’s complaint. They invoked Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provisions related to abetment of suicide of a child and extortion. Police also added sections under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act. Officials sealed the supermarket after registering the case against the accused. A cyber forensic team visited the store and examined CCTV footage along with other available evidence. Police are also reviewing the statement allegedly signed by the sisters. Authorities said they will take action after completing the investigation.

Meanwhile, the girl’s family staged a protest outside a police station and demanded immediate arrests. They also blocked a road for around half an hour during the protest. Family members demanded strict action against everyone responsible for the alleged harassment. The road blockade caused disruption before senior police officers reached the spot. Top officials assured the family that police would take appropriate action in the case. Following the assurance, the family ended the protest and cleared the road. Police have continued their investigation, but officials have not announced any arrests so far.

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