A para-teacher has been detained for the alleged rape and murder of a 13-year-old student in Palamau district of Jharkhand.

According to the complaint lodged by the girl’s father at Panki police station, the accused Shambu Singh, 35, had raped her daughter on the night of January 25 and threatened them of dire consequences if they informed the police about the crime. On Tuesday night, the accused had given the girl something to eat after threatening them again, according to the father. The girl’s health started deteriorating the next day and she died on Wednesday night.

“My daughter had gone to relieve herself at around 8pm in the toilet situated at a little distance from our house. When she did not return, I went in search of her and saw the para-teacher raping her at a distance from the toilet. When I started shouting the para-teacher shoved a pistol to my head and threatened to kill me,” the father has alleged in the complaint lodged at Panki police station on Thursday.

Frightened, the girl and her family kept mum.

However on Tuesday night, the para-teacher in the Upgraded Primary School at Karri, who is a resident of the same village, again came to their house and threatened to kill the family members if they informed the police, according to the father of the girl, who was a Class VII student. “Then he took my daughter to a corner and made her eat something. My daughter complained of intense stomach pain from January 27 afternoon and started vomiting in the evening. Before we could take her to hospital she died on the same night,” the complaint said.

Palamau superintendent of police Sanjeev Kumar said the complaint had been received and the para-teacher had been detained.

“We have received the complaint. I have asked Lesliegunj deputy superintendent of police Anup Kumar Baraik to investigate the case. We have detained the para-teacher for interrogation. We have sent the girl’s body for post-mortem to the Medininagar Medical College and Hospital. Everything will become clear after we receive the post-mortem report,” the SP said.

Meanwhile, a police officer investigating the case expressed surprise at the father’s complaint.

“They live in a densely populated area. It is not possible for a man from the same village to rape a girl and also threaten her family and have the audacity to visit their house again the next day. The teacher does not have any criminal history. Some relatives have also claimed that the girl had been complaining of stomach pain earlier. However, everything will become clear after we receive the autopsy report,” said the police officer.

Karra village in Panki block is around 150km from state capital Ranchi.