UP: 2 dancers kidnapped at gunpoint for performance, later gang-raped
Eight men have been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping and gang-rape of two orchestra dancers on Monday night in Kushinagar district's Village Gaurihi. The victims were reportedly abducted from their rented accommodation at gunpoint. The assailants, armed with firearms, later forced the dancers to a house in the Kaptanganj area, where they were allegedly gang raped.
Abductors's motive: Forced performance at birthday party
Kushinagar Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar Mishra revealed that the suspects arrived in two SUVs and took the victims to the residence of one of the suspects, Ajit Singh. The intention was not to demand ransom but to coerce the dancers into performing at Singh's birthday party. When the dancers refused to go with them, the assailants allegedly displayed firearms and fired warning shots to force compliance.
Police intervention leads to arrest of 6 suspects
Upon receiving reports of the incident, police swiftly intervened, rescuing the dancers and arresting six suspects on Monday night. The arrested individuals include Arthak Singh, Nagendra Yadav, Ashwan Singh, Singh, and Vivek Seth. Notably, Arthak is the son of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Aditya Singh. The remaining two suspects, Nisar Ansari and Aditya Sahni, were located during a police checkpoint near a canal on Tuesday evening.
Significant cache of weapons and items seized from suspects
Authorities have also seized a significant cache of weapons and other items from the suspects. The recovered items include two SUVs, a motorcycle without a license plate, an illegal factory-made pistol, seven shotguns, four additional illegal pistols, 10 spent cartridges, 12 live rounds, 11 mobile phones, a Nepali SIM card, and a large amount of cash.
