In a spine-chilling incident, the suicide investigation of a man has brought to light the brutal gang rape of a 19-year-old Dalit pregnant woman, in the streets of Udaipur. The incident is strikingly similar to the horrific 2016 Nirbhaya gang rape which shook the entire nation. Nirbhaya was raped while returning home with her male friend in December 2016; the Dalit woman too was raped in a similar way.

Her boyfriend, who was giving her a ride back home on his motorbike, was thrashed with iron rods and swords by three people until he lost consciousness. The accused also snatched away his mobile phone. The woman was then dragged to a desolate bus stand where she was gangraped by Sunil Charpota, Vikas and Jitendra Charpota. But her ordeal did not end here. The three again took her to a different place, called two friends --Naresh Gurjar and Vijay -- and raped her again.

Like Nirbahaya, she was abandoned on the street after the brutal assault.

Such was the ferocity of the attack that her one-and-a-half-month-old foetus did not survive, compelling her to undergo medical termination of pregnancy.

However, the case would not have seen the light of the day had the police not been investigating her boyfriend's death, who after regaining consciousness, killed himself, fearing humiliation. The couple was not married, and the woman was one and a half month pregnant.

The Banswara Police said that the girl did not report the crime, and it was discovered when one of the accused was arrested by the police while the suicide of the man was being probed. It was only when the arrested accused gave the police the stolen phone, that the police got the wind of the gang rape.

Three weeks after the incident which, according to the police, took place on July 13, the mobile phone of the boyfriend was recovered and police found that the victim had made several calls to his number. Tracing details of phone calls and messages, the police reached the victim. Even though the police said that her condition was delicate, she somehow managed to narrate her ordeal to the police.

Acting on the details provided by the victim, the police arrested the five accused men -- Sunil Charpota, Vikas, Naresh Gurjar, Vijay and Jitendra Charpota.

A case has been lodged against the accused under charges of rape, kidnapping, attempt to murder and abetment to suicide.

Police said that Sunil Charpota carried a reward of Rs 5,000 on him, and has a criminal record. The accused have been remanded to judicial custody.

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