UP rape victim burnt alive for not withdrawing case

While both the criminals involved in a sensational attack on a rape victim remained at large, the 18-year-old girl succumbed to her injuries late Tuesday night in Aligarh district of Uttar Pradesh. The accused had burned her alive in a broad daylight incident in Sambhal district on Tuesday. Reports said that the victim, who received more than 70 per cent burn injuries and referred to Medical College in Aligarh died during the night. However, her ‘dying declaration’ has been already recorded before a magistrate soon after the incident. Sambhal District police chief Atul Saksena claimed that he formed eight separate teams to arrest the accused on whom he also said to have announced a cash reward of `2,500. Saksena said that the local beat sub-inspector was also placed under suspension for his negligence to take necessary steps to ensure safety of the victim.

It may be mentioned that one Vijay Jatav, a resident of Arola Nawazi in Gunnaur locality of Sambhal, had kidnapped a 18-year-old Dalit girl and later raped her after confining her in the custody of accomplices for two days in July last year. The family members registered a case in this regard after which the local police arrested Vijay and sent him to jail last year in December. Reports said that in the meantime, Vijay’s family started threatening the girl’s family and tried to force them to withdraw the case. However, the family members refused and informed the local police of the development. Finally few days back, Vijay managed to get out on bail and he threatened the girl either to withdraw charges against him or be ready to face the consequences. The family members once again told the police about it but the cops refused to take cognizance.

Reports said that the negligence of the police proved costly for the victim’s family when Vijay Jatav along with one of his aide identified as Rajendra Yadav, intercepted the girl when she was going in connection with some work on Tuesday morning. They sprinkled kerosene over her clothes and set her ablaze to burn her alive. The girl somehow doused the fire but she already received more than 70 percent burns till then. She was rushed to Government Hospital where the local police got her ‘dying declaration’ recorded before a magistrate and later shifted her to Aligarh where she finally succumbed in the night.