New Delhi:
Akhilesh Yadav, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, will be in Delhi today to seek global investment in his state, where two more shocking cases of rape have been reported. In one, a 35-year-old woman was allegedly raped by a senior policeman, while his juniors did nothing to stop him.
The woman had reportedly gone to the Sumerpur police station in Hamirpur district of UP to seek the release of her husband, who had been picked up by the cops after a country-made pistol was seized from him.
The policemen allegedly demanded a bribe from the woman, which she refused to pay. She was then allegedly raped by the Station House Officer (SHO), Rahul Pandey. Three constables on duty allegedly did not intervene.
The SHO has been arrested and the constables have been removed from duty.
On Tuesday night, a woman was found hanging from a tree in Bahraich district of UP, in what had chilling similarities to the killing of two young girls who were gang-raped and then murdered two weeks ago in Badaun district.
The girls, aged 14 and 15, too were discovered hanging from a tree.
The woman's son alleged that she was gang-raped and then murdered by her attackers. He said she had recently complained to the police about the local liquor mafia.
Three of the five people named as suspects have been arrested, including the woman's brother-in-law who was allegedly part of the village hooch racket. The autopsy report, however, hasn't confirmed rape. Results of pathological tests that conclusively confirm rape are still awaited. The police has also hinted at the possibility of suicide.
The Badaun case two weeks ago had made international headlines. The chilling image of the two teen cousins hanging from a tree sparked massive outrage. Several cases of brutal attacks on women in the state have followed.
Akhilesh Yadav's political rivals have demanded the dismissal of his government. The 41-year-old chief minister met top cops and bureaucrats of his state on Tuesday to review law and order in UP.