Dalit Woman In UP Claims She Was Threatened To Withdraw Rape Case

A Dalit gangrape survivor has alleged that she was subjected to casteist slurs and threatened by family members of one of the accused to withdraw the case, police said on Monday.

Police said family members of rape accused Manish Mishra, a block pramukh and nephew of ex-MLA Vijay Mishra, allegedly threatened the woman on Sunday.

On the complaint of the rape survivor, an FIR has been registered under Section 504 (intentionally insulting with intent to disturb peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and under the Scheduled Caste-Tribe (Prevention of atrocities) Act and legal action is being taken, police said.

The woman belonging to Handia area of Prayagraj district had filed a case of gangrape against block pramukh Mishra and his three friends at the Unj police station in Bhadohi in 2019. The woman said she was going to meet her advocate here when four members of Mishra's family, including his wife and son, issued threats and hurled casteist abuses at her, Gopiganj police station in-charge

Inspector Sadanand Singh said The woman has alleged that since the registration of the gangrape case in 2019, the four have come to her residence several times and threatened to eliminate her family, Singh said.

Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar said 21 cases, including those of robbery, murder, rape and cheating, have been registered against Mishra, who is currently lodged in Varanasi jail.