Amid the widespread outrage over the alleged gang-rape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras, an yet another scheduled caste 22-year-old Dalit woman died in Balrampur district while being rushed to a hospital after allegedly being raped by two men. The police have arrested two men in the case, one of them is a minor, based upon the statement of the victim's family.
Balrampur Superintendent of Police Dev Ranjan Verma said the incident happened in the Gaisari area of the district, where a 22-year-old Dalit woman failed to return home in time on Tuesday evening, prompting her parents to start looking for her. The victim worked in a private firm in Balrampur. Verma said a written complaint was filed at the Gainsdi Police Station.
In the written complaint, the family said they made several attempts to contact the victim but, she did not respond to calls on her mobile phone, triggering panic among family members.
The woman returned home around 7 pm in an autorickshaw with an intravascular cannula, medically known as Vigo and used for administering injection, glucose or other fluids in the body, inserted in her hand, the police said, quoting her parents. The victim's mother said that she was abducted while on way to work in the morning. She alleged that her daughter was given an injection before being raped.
The victim's waist and both legs had been broken after which she was sent home on a rickshaw, the mother added. The girl looked dazed and in a serious condition, prompting her parents to rush her to a nearby hospital, but she died on the way, said the SP. The victim's mother said the only thing her daughter could say was: "There is a lot of pain, I will not survive."
When the matter was reported to the police from the hospital, the parents alleged that their daughter was gang-raped, SP Verma said. The family named two boys in the written complaint and have alleged rape. Acting on the parent's complaint, police identified the accused as Shahid and Sahil and arrested them, the SP said.
"The family members tried to take the woman to the hospital but she succumbed on the way. The family has named two boys in the written complaint and have alleged rape. The police acted immediately on the complaint and have arrested both culprits," said Verma, adding a case will be registered and strict action taken against all those involved.
According to a media report, sources informed that postmortem report has confirmed gang-rape, adding that she had died of the multiple injuries she sustained.
Reacting to the incident, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav said, "After Hathras, now a daughter was harassed and gang-raped in Balrampur. The victim died in serious condition. Condolences! The BJP government should commit no laxity in this case as was done in Hathras and arrest the accused immediately," he added with a hashtag #Balrampur... #NoMoreBJP" on his Tweeter handle.
SP spokesperson Juhie Singh in a tweet said: "After Hathras, now its Balrampur. The legs of the victim were broken, she finally lost her life also. Where is the government?"
