BAREILLY: A villager under

jurisdiction was tied to a cot and repeatedly thrashed by his family members and neighbours when they learnt that he had allegedly raped his 14-year-old stepdaughter. Upon getting the information, police took the crictically injured man to a hospital. The accused was referred for higher facility but succumbed to his injuries before reaching the other facility.

“He was being taken to a Moradabad hospital when he succumbed to injuries in midway. An FIR against him under section 376 (rape) and POCSO Act has been lodged. The girl has been sent for medical examination,” station house officer, inspector Jitendra Singh said.

Police said that in her written complaint, rape survivor’s mother said that her husband had raped her daughter thrice over the past one month but the girl kept silent since she was threatened.

On Saturday morning, the victim girl raised alarm after her stepfather pulled her inside his room to rape her again. Upon hearing her scream, her mother rushed to the room to rescue her.

Meanwhile, the brothers of the accused also reached there and expressed their anger over his sinister act. They had a heated argument with the man after which they, with the help of two neighbours, tied him to a cot and in a fit of rage bludgeoned him with wooden sticks.

34-year-old man had married a widow woman of Firozabad district who had three girls and one boy from her previous marriage. The woman had brought all her four kids to keep them with her.

Inspector Singh said that while narrating her ordeals, the woman said that she had a doubt on her husband, that he had been having an evil eye upon her daughter, for the past couple of months but she didn’t react as she had no proof.

“The girl told us that around 20 days ago when she was alone at home, her stepfather raped her and threatened to kill her if she spoke about the incident. After the incident she was raped again on two occasions during night time when the other family members were sleeping. On Saturday morning, her mother had gone out to visit a nearby shop while accused’s brothers were in the other room when he pulled the girl in his room and tried to rape her,” SHO said.