Beldanga, July 17: An alleged rapist was let off in a Murshidabad shalishi, apparently held at a police station, after his father agreed to pay Rs 30,000.

The Congress-led Beldanga panchayat samiti’s sabhapati, Sukhen Haldar, saha-sabhapati Saharaddin Sheikh and CPM panchayat member from Beldanga’s Janakinagar, where the victim lives, attended Tuesday’s kangaroo court, apparently on the police station’s terrace.

Saharaddin said officer-in-charge Sandip Sen was present but the OC denied such a meeting.

Asraful Haque, 19, has been moving around freely since April 23, when he allegedly raped the 13-year-old, a neighbour, in her house in Janakinagar, about 180km from Calcutta. Her 18-year-old brother and father were away at the time.

“On July 9, the OC told me to settle the matter. I accepted because two and a half months had passed but the accused was still free,” Sanarul Haque, the victim’s father, said. The small farmer had lodged a complaint the day after the alleged rape but said the police hadn’t come to his village for a probe. “We moved the chief judicial magistrate in Behrampore. The court ordered an investigation but nothing happened.”

Saha-sabhapati Saharaddin confirmed he was present at the shalishi, saying Sanarul had asked him to come. “We settled the matter as the OC wanted it. Asraful’s father will pay Rs 30,000, Rs 10,000 in 10 days and the rest within a month. The girl’s family will then withdraw the case,” Saharaddin said, adding such meetings at the police station “weren’t uncommon”. OC Sen said: “We are trying to arrest Asraful but he is absconding.” Asraful’s father Afazuddin declined comment, saying the matter had been “settled”.

Murshidabad police chief Basab Dasgupta said a shalishi couldn’t settle a rape case. “I will ask the OC to arrest the accused. The deputy superintendent, Shanto Mitra, will probe the matter.”