A 40-year-old Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) worker committed suicide after allegedly being raped by a 20-year-old last week. The video of the incident was reportedly circulated on Whatsapp by the accused.
Muzaffarnagar’s Senior Superintended of Police (SSP) at Purchhapar police station, K B Singh, said no complaint was lodged by the victim or her husband after the alleged rape.
K B SinghHer husband filed a complaint only after her suicide, but he did not mention the time or date of the alleged crime.
Singh said the video appeared to have been shot in a field. Call details reveal that the accused and victim were in touch for the past two months.
According to a fellow ASHA worker, the accused, Shahid, first encountered the victim three-months ago when Shahid’s sister-in-law was giving birth and the victim visited his house to oversee the delivery. The co-worker said that since then Shahid used to “block her way in the village and made advances at her”.
A protest was staged by hundred of ASHA workers from adjoining districts, refusing to cremate the woman’s body until the family was provided with adequate compensation. The body was finally cremated after Muzaffarnagar’s MP and Minister of State for Agriculture Sanjeev Balyan visited the family in Chhapra.
MP Sanjeev Balyan to The Indian ExpressThe district administration has given a meagre compensation of Rs 30,000 to the family. The woman ran the house as her husband is bedridden. They have three children. I have asked villagers to help the family and I, too, will personally help them.
The accused has been booked on charges of rape, abetment of suicide and the Information Technology Act.
Pradeep Gupta, Superintendent of Police (City), MuzaffarnagarThe accused was arrested late Tuesday night and, during initial interrogation, he admitted to raping the victim as well as circulating the video clip. He has been sent to judicial remand for 14 days. There is tension in the village. It also involves two communities, so it is a bit sensitive. We have ensured heavy police deployment.
The victim reportedly consumed sulphas tablets at the marketplace near her house after she was in a state of shock. She died during treatment.
Victim’s co-workerA couple of days ago, when the 30-second video was circulated in the village, her children and husband got to know about the incident. But when her husband asked her about it, she refused to speak. She told me that everyone would blame her.
Nikhil Chand Shukla, Muzaffarnagar’s District Magistrate, has sent a recommendation to the government to providing financial support to the victim’s family.
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