UP: Dalit woman gang-raped at gunpoint, accused on the run
A former village head and another man allegedly raped a Dalit woman, said to be in her 20s, in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur Dehat district, multiple reports said. The victim was violated at her home, earlier this month when nobody was present. The accused held her at gunpoint, took turns to rape her, and then threatened her with dire consequences. Here are more details.
Accused raped woman at gunpoint earlier this month
The victim's village falls under the Derapur police station limits. The in-charge of the station, Sameer Kumar Singh, said the woman recounted that on October 8, around 10 pm, two men, namely Kamlesh and Dinesh, barged into her house. Pointing a gun toward her, they raped her, before fleeing. They warned her against speaking of the assault to anyone, including her family.
After police were informed, teams formed to nab accused
Singh said the victim informed her mother about the incident on Saturday, and subsequently, police were approached, reports TOI. Superintendent of Police (Kanpur Dehat) Keshav Kumar Choudhary said a case was registered under relevant sections of IPC and Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Three teams, besides a SWAT team, are looking for the accused.
In Hathras, a Dalit woman was raped, tortured, she died
This incident comes weeks after another Dalit woman was allegedly gang-raped and tortured in Hathras. The Hathras case was handed over to CBI after the late-night cremation of the victim sparked outrage. Said to be 19 years old, the woman was attacked by four men of upper caste last month, while she was busy in farm-related work. She had suffered serious spine injuries.
State government slammed those viewing crime though caste lens
The Hathras case was also viewed as a caste crime with many, including Congress and Bhim Army, saying minorities aren't safe in the state, but the UP government denied the allegations. In the Supreme Court and the Allahabad High Court, the government defended its actions, saying some tried to fan communal tensions using the incident. Large-scale violence was also planned, claimed the government.
