Congress slams UP govt over death of gang-rape victim

Congress members in Lucknow protested with chants of ‘Dalit beti ko nyay do’

rape_symbolic Representative image | Shutterstock

The death of a gang-rape victim from Uttar Pradesh led to protests in Lucknow today, with the Congress dubbing it the height of shamelessness on the part of the state government.

The 19-year-old woman from Hathras district was raped by four men, on September 14. She passed away in Delhi on Tuesday.

Her medical examination report makes for grim reading, noting that the survivor was strangulated by her dupatta. She was also gagged during the incident and had been threatened that she would be killed. It also notes, ‘loss of consciousness during the time of the attack’. Her tongue had been slashed and she suffered multiple fractures during the attack which took place when she had gone to the fields with her mother and brother. Her eyes were haemorrhaged and her neck bore ligature marks. This report is from Aligarh, where she was taken after receiving first aid at the district hospital.

Her four attackers, aged between 19 and 20 years, have been arrested. They belonged to the same village as the woman.

Congress members in Lucknow protested with chants of ‘Dalit beti ko nyay do’ (Give justice to the Dalit daughter).

The death comes days after the state’s chief minister had announced that all those responsible for crimes against women would be named and shamed through posters in public places.

As Congress members turned up to protest, senior leader P.L. Punia was arrested with others before he could reach the protest site.

The party’s state president Ajay Kumar Lallu said, “The rape is a black mark on the government.” He added that the government must answer why an FIR in the case was not lodged immediately. “Who is the government trying to save,” he asked.

The state government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the victim’s family.

Meanwhile, Lucknow-based social activist Nutan Thakur has filed a complaint to remove videos and pictures on social media sites that disclose the identity of the victim. Section 228A of the Indian Penal Code makes disclosure of the identity of a victim a punishable offence. Thakur has also written to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology asking for immediate removal of the victim’s name, identity and photo from all websites and social media.

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