UP woman gang raped, burnt alive

Amidst an appalling state of affairs in Uttar Pradesh, yet another shocking incident of a woman being allegedly gang raped before being burnt alive has come to light.

The incident took place in the Etah district, about 250 kilometers from here, adding up to the series of rape cases in the last few days in the state.

According to the police, three persons barged into the house of the woman at Sabhapur village in the district on Sunday night and allegedly raped her. The culprits doused the victim with kerosene and set her on fire. She was rushed to the hospital but was declared brought dead.

Special director general of UP police Brijlal, however, said that five persons had entered the house of the victim but she could identify only three of them. The three were identified as Suman Yadav, Sunil Yadav and Mulayam. The victim, in her dying declaration has alleged that she was raped by Sunil.

“The victim was burnt after she raised an alarm,” he added. The government has suspended the SHO of the local police station after it turned out that he had declared the killing as a suicide, police said.

Similar incidents shook the state on the same day. A teen was allegedly raped by two youths, one of whom happened to be her suitor, in Ferozabad district in the state on Sunday. Similarly, a dalit girl was raped and subsequently killed in Gonda district.

Another girl was raped in the Basti district, officials said here. Barely a few days back a girl was blinded after she resisted a rape bid by two youths in Kannauj district.

There has been a sudden spurt in rape cases in the state and as many as five rape incidents had been reported during the past two days. The opposition Congress, Samajwadi Party and BJP have charged the Mayawati government with failing to protect the women and demanded the chief minister’s resignation.

Mayawati, however, dismissed the charges and maintained that her government had taken steps to ensure stern punishment to the offenders.