Indore (Madhya Pradesh): In a horrific incident, a 28-year-old man, who was subjected to inhuman torture by his relatives over a property dispute, succumbed to his injuries during treatment at MY Hospital on Friday night.
The ordeal began on January 17, when eight accused including the victim’s uncle, aunt, and cousins who resided in the same house allegedly abducted him and took him to a farm in Shajapur. There, the accused tied him to a tree and brutally assaulted him with belts and sticks. The accused then stripped him and branded his genitals, hands, legs, and thighs with red-hot iron rods.
Following the assault, the accused allegedly took the victim to the Banganga police station to lodge a rape case against him, claiming he had assaulted their daughter. However, the severe injuries visible on the victim’s body made the police suspicious. Officers immediately rushed him to the hospital, where he managed to record a dying declaration before passing away.
According to the police, the deceased was a resident of Rishi Nagar and worked as a carpenter. Based on his statement, the police registered a case against his uncle, aunt, two cousins, and four others. Three of the accused have been arrested, while the others remain at large.
Rape, POCSO case registered against deceased
Banganga police station in-charge Siyaram Gurjar said that based on the initial complaint filed by the deceased’s uncle and aunt, a case for rape under sections of BNS and POCSO Act was registered against the deceased. They had alleged that he sexually assaulted their minor daughter.
Abducted under the pretext of drinking
The victim’s family said that although they lived in the same house as the accused, a dispute had recently arisen over ancestral property. On January 17, the accused allegedly lured the victim to a vacant spot under the pretext of drinking liquor, from where they abducted him to Shajapur. The family originally hails from Bihar, and the victim’s final rites will be conducted in his ancestral village.
Victim’s dying declaration
In his final statement to the police, the victim said that the dispute involved a claim to his grandfather's land plots.
“They abducted me in a car and took me to a farm in Shajapur. They stripped me, tied me to a tree, and beat me with belts and sticks. They stuffed a cloth into my mouth so I couldn’t scream. Then, they heated an iron rod and branded my genitals, hands, legs, and thighs.
After untying me, they threw me face-down on the ground and resumed the beating. My cousins sat on my stomach and chest while one of them strangled me, causing me to lose consciousness.”
He further added, “When I regained consciousness, they forced me to dress and drove me back to Rishi Nagar in a sedan (MP09ZV2478). The following day, they took me to the police station and falsely told officers that I had committed misconduct against a girl in their family. I remained silent out of sheer terror. However, upon seeing my injuries, the police immediately sent me to MYH Hospital for treatment.
