54-year-old gang-rape victim died in police station after consuming poison

Azamgarh (Uttar Pradesh), October 10: A horrific incident has come to the fore from Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh where a 54-year-old woman alleged that she was gang-raped by two men on Tuesday. The rape victim on Saturday attempted suicide inside the police station by consuming poison as a protest against the police officers who were not taking any action against the accused.

The attempted suicide but turned true since the rape victim succumbed to the poison which she had consumed in front of the police officers on duty. Following the incident, the SHO has been suspended.

The victim was a 54-year-old resident of a village that falls under Mehnazpur Police station area of Azamgarh. On October 5, the incident took place, some people dragged the woman out of her house and took her to a secluded area in the backyard of a nearby primary school where they overpowered her and allegedly gang-raped her. When she tried to resist, the accused thrashed her and also threatened to kill her.

After the incident, the woman called the police emergency number and told them that two men had gang-raped her. Later she even went to Mehnazpur police station to register a complaint against the accused but to no avail.

When police didn’t take any action, family members approached the SP office on Friday and submitted an application, and demanded justice. Then again on Saturday, the victim herself went to police station to register her complaint. In fact for four days consecutive days the police did not register the complaint and failed to take any action against the culprits, rather they were persuading the victim for compromise. On being ignored the stressed woman, consumed poison in front of police officers after which she was rushed to a nearby hospital. On worsening of her condition she was referred to the district hospital but she was declared ‘brought dead’ at the hospital.

The husband of the victim alleged that she had identified the key accused as Anil Singh and another man and submitted a written complaint but the Inspector Chunna Singh and Inspector Vinod Kumar made the woman stay in police station for hours and kept forcing her to make a comprise with the culprits.

The key accused Anil is a resident of the same village, but the police failed to take any action, said Sudhir Kumar Singh, Superintendent of the police. For his negligence Inspector Chunna Singh has been suspended, he added.

Police said a case has been registered against the accused under section 376 (rape), 306 (abetment to suicide) of Indian Penal code (IPC).

The Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav criticised the government led by Yogi Adityanath and asked for strong action against the accused.

“In Azamgarh, a woman committed suicide in the police station due to the lack of action against the accused of rape – very sad! This incident is a slap on the face of the BJP government which talks about giving justice to the common man in the state by making big claims. Government should take the strictest action against the guilty police officers and accused”, said Akhilesh Yadav in a tweet.