Just over a month after Hathras gangrape and murder shook the nation, another case of similar horrendous nature has emerged from Uttar Pradesh.
A 50-year-old woman was gang-raped and brutally murdered allegedly by a Himdu temple riest and two others in the Badaun district in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.
Just like in the Hathras case, the Badaun case victim also suffered police apathy in life and in death.
The victim had gone missing on Sunday evening, but when the family approached the police they were ignored, then again when the accused dumped her body outside her house later that night, the police did not consider it urgent enough for immediate action .
The victim, an Anganwadi worker, left for a temple in her village at around 6 pm on Sunday.
When she did not return for two-three hours, her family went to the police station but were turned back. Later that night, at around 11:30 pm, three men dumped her body outside her home and fled.
According to the victim’s family, the three men were temple’s priest Baba Satyanarayan, his disciple Vedram and driver Jaspal. Sources said that before dumping her body outside her home, the accused had also taken her to a medical centre. But when she died, they came to her home, rang the bell, threw her blood-soaked body there and fled.
According to the victim’s family when they rushed to the Ughaiti police station to file a complaint, Station Incharge Ravendra Pratap Singh refused to listen to them and said that he will take up the matter the next day. The cops visited the victim’s house on Monday morning and sent the body for postmortem.
After the brutality of this case came to lime light Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun has suspended an SHO for negligence in the rape and murder case of a woman after the postmortem report revealed that she was not only gang-raped but also brutalised.
Dr Yashpal Singh, Chief Medical Officer, Badaun said the woman suffered injuries on her private parts, which clearly indicates it is a rape case.
“As per the post-mortem report, the woman got injuries on her private parts and she also got fractures. There were tears and she had a fracture on one of her legs.
There was excessive bleeding and the bleeding led to shock and that led to the patient’s death. Prima facie, it is rape as she got injuries on her private parts. Her viscera has been sent to the lab for testing,” Singh said.
So far Two Hindu priests accused have been arrested in the case.
After Social media furore Superintendent of Police Siddharth Verma said, “The postmortem report confirmed the rape.
A case has been registered against the three accused, including the Mahant of Dharmasthala under sections of gang rape and murder.
Two accused have been arrested in the case. Some policemen have been negligent towards the case so the SHO has been suspended with immediate effect.
Action will also be taken against other people who didn’t perform their duties. The search for the main accused is on.”
“An FIR was registered at Ughaiti police station under 376 (d) and 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Three persons were named in the FIR.
Two of them have been arrested. One accused is absconding and four teams have been constituted to nab him.
A cash reward of Rs 25,000 has been announced on the accused. He will also be arrested soon. I have inspected the incident site as well,” Sharma added.
“The station in-charge has been suspended for negligence after a probe ordered by me found him guilty. If any more police officials are found involved in dereliction of duties, action will be taken against them,” he said.
Badaun District Magistrate Prashant Kumar said the National Security Act (NSA) will be invoked against the accused.
“We have suspended station in-charge with immediate effect for the negligence of duty.
We have tried to give a message that any negligence related to law and order will not be forgiven. Two people have been arrested in the matter and a team has been constituted to look into the arrest of the absconding accused person,” Kumar said.
“We believe that this incident is a fit case of NSA and we will take action against the accused under the NSA. The administration will also provide financial assistance to the deceased’s family. The case will be tried in fast track court,” he said.
“We have taken cognizance of the matter. We have written a letter to DGP. One NCW member is going to the spot to investigate the matter to meet the family and the police and take stock of the situation. NCW will be following this case closely and we will make sure that justice will be delivered,” NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma said.
