UP gangrape survivor on way to court set afire by 5 including man who raped her

india

Updated: Dec 05, 2019 13:30 IST

A 30-year-old woman gangraped in December was assaulted and set on fire by five men in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district early on Thursday, the police said. One of the five men was an accused in the gangrape case but hadn’t been arrested so far.

The woman was on her way to the railway station to catch an early morning train to Rae Bareli for a court hearing when she was stopped by the accused, said the police.

The rape survivor has been admitted to Lucknow civil hospital. UP police chief OP Singh said she had sustained about 60 per cent burns.

The rape survivor was on her way to the court in connection with the rape case when she was attacked.

In her statement to the police, the rape survivor said the men first hit her on the head and attacked with a knife on the neck. As she slumped, they poured petrol and set her on fire.

Some people who were nearby came to her rescue. The accused fled the scene soon after.

Vikrant Veer, the Unnao Superintendent of Police said three of the five men named by the victim have been arrested. It includes the man who had allegedly raped her.

In her statement given to the police at the hospital the victim has said that she was going to Baiswara Bihar railway station at around 4.30 am.

At the Gaura crossing, Hari Shankar Trivedi, Kishore, Shubham, Shivam, Umesh and two others accosted her.

When the woman had first reported rape by two men, the police had been able to arrest only one suspect. He was later released on bail. The second accused had been missing and tried to get a stay from the high court but wasn’t successful. The police have initiated proceedings to attach his property.

“This is a systemic failure (of the criminal justice system),” OP Singh told news channel NDTV.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra cited Thursday’s attack to criticise Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. “Yesterday, the country’s home minister and UP chief minister clearly lied that Uttar Pradesh’s law and order situation has improved…. BJP leaders should now stop fake propaganda,” she tweeted.