Insensitiveness of the State police once again led to violent protest when hundreds of local residents and workers of the BSP reportedly took to streets protesting police inaction which forced a gang-rape victim to immolate herself.
Demanding immediate arrest of the culprits and action against the guilty cops, the irate mob not only torched several vehicles including that of a local magistrate but also pelted stones, ransacked local police outpost and blocked the highway for several hours. It was only when the cops used force, fired in air and the local district police chief, Deepika Tewari, assured of proper action, the situation could be only brought under control after which the body of the victim was removed from the road and last rites were performed amidst tight security. Tewari, later informed that two of the accused have also been arrested while about a dozen involved in the violence have been also taken into custody.
Reports said that residents of Sikendrarao area of Hathras, who were agitated due to insensitiveness and inaction of the police to arrest the accused involved in gang-rape of 22-year-old Sunita (name changed), which forced the victim to go ahead with self-immolation, had collected and kept the body of the victim and blocked the National Highway, on Tuesday morning.
When the cops reached and tried to remove the body, the mob went on rampage and attacked the cops and torched several vehicles besides being involved in heavy brick batting.
After finding the situation going out of control, local district police chief, Deepika Tewari ordered to open fire in air to disperse the tense crowd. later she said that the move was made in self defense and that no one was injured in the firing. She also denied the allegation of protesters that the victim was also torched by the accused after gang rape and claimed that she committed suicide. She said that two of the arrested accused and remaining will be accounted for soon.
It may be mentioned here that a 22-year-old gang-rape victim from Hathras received 90 per cent burn injuries after she self immolated after going in depression following the incident. However, the cops initiated no legal proceedings in the matter which led to violence on Tuesday.Meanwhile in another incident, a 45-year-old woman was bludgeoned to death when she resisted a molestation attempt on her daughter, in Meerut. The girl and her maternal grandfather were also injured in the incident.
Reports said that one Sitara, hailing from Brahmpuri area of Meerut, was living with her father and two daughters. As per the report lodged with the local police, one Raisuddin along with his brother Gyaas, nephew Shaalu, and brother-in-law Nawab, entered victim Sitara’s home and molested her daughter. Sitara tried to resist the accused after which she was attacked by a wooden hammer repeatedly by Raisuddin, following which she was critically injured. The accused also attacked her daughter and father Abdul Rahman who tried to save her. The accused later escaped from the house. Sitara was rushed to a nearby hospital where she was declared dead. A case has been registered against four persons, and prime accused Raisuddin was arrested and hammer used to kill the woman, has been also recovered from him.
Meanwhile a minor girl was allegedly gangraped by two youths while she was sleeping on the roof of her house in Makhanpur area of Ferojabad. The girl, about 16 years old, was sleeping on the terrace of her house on Monday night when neighbours Anil and Sunil jumped there from the adjoining house and allegedly gang-raped her. The girl later informed her family members about the incident following which they lodged an FIR with the police. Both the accused, who are in their early thirties, have been arrested.