Just when the nation is trying to come to terms with its outrage over the Hathras incident, comes another gang rape – this time of a 50-year-old anganwadi worker.
Shocking details are filtering out three days after the incident.
It is gathered that she was gang raped and murdered allegedly by a priest and his two accomplices in Budaun district of Uttar Pradesh.
What has triggered an outcry is the obvious comparison with the Nirbhaya case as the post-mortem report, which was conducted 18 hours after the body was found, has confirmed injuries to her private parts, apart from a broken rib and a fractured rib – tell-tale evidence of the grisly attack.
In many ways, it was a replay of the apathy in the Hathras incident, yet again marked by the sluggish response of the authtorities. The victim had gone missing on Sunday evening, but when the family approached the police their pleas went unheard; then, again when the accused dumped her body outside her house later that night, the police did not consider it urgent enough for immediate action. According to the victim’s family when they rushed to the Ughaiti police station to file a complaint, the Station In-charge refused to listen to them and said that he will take up the matter the next day, reports a news portal.
The priest is on the run, though his two accomplices were arrested on Tuesday night. The incident, which has triggered an uproar in political circles, surfaced when the audacious priest and his accomplices dumped the body at the victim's home, saying it was found in a dry well on the temple premises.
The FIR was registered two days later after the autopsy confirmed rape and the two accomplices were nabbed. Taking cognisance of the incident, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered "strongest possible action" in the case, even as opposition parties attacked his government, terming the incident as "horrific" and "shameful."
The National Commission for Women also took note of the incident and has decided to rush a team to ascertain the facts.
The SSP said the station house officer (SHO) of Ughaiti police station has been suspended for "delay in informing higher authorities, laxity in taking action and dereliction of duty.’’
Four teams have been formed to nab the priest and a reward of Rs 50,000 has been announced for clues leading to the arrest.
The case was registered on Tuesday only after the post-mortem report came. According to the Budaun chief medical officer, the woman died of trauma and excessive bleeding.
The victim's son said his mother had gone to offer prayers at the temple on Sunday but did not return home. It was only around 11 pm that the temple priest and his two aides came to their house and handed over the body, he added.
Before the family members could ask how she died, the accused left the house saying she had fallen in a dry well and her body had to be pulled out.
