UP: Gang-rape victim consumes poison along with parents

Alleged police inaction forced yet another gang-rape victim to attempt suicide along with her parents in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi town, about 300 kilometres from here, on Monday.

All of them were rushed to the hospital, where their condition was stated to be critical.

According to the sources, the victim, who was a minor, and her parents consumed some poisonous substance in front of the office of the Varanasi police chief in protest against the alleged failure of the cops to take action against the accused persons.

Sources said that the victim had. a month back lodged a complaint with the police accusing some persons of gang-raping and kidnapping her. A note, that was found near the spot, where she and her parents consumed poison, said that the cops had 'diluted' the case under the 'influence' of the accused persons.

Police, however, claimed that the victim might have been instigated by someone to take the extreme step. ''The police had taken action in the case....we arrested two people....the investigation is still on,'' said a senior police official in Varanasi.

Sources said that one of the accused in the matter was a railway official.

As many as three rape victims have died in the past fortnight in the state. While two of them had allegedly been set ablaze by those, who had been accused of raping them, another had committed self-immolation in protest against alleged police inaction against the accused.