Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday, 18 December, told the state Assembly that there has been a drop in rape cases by 19 percent in 2019 as compared to the Samajwadi Party-led government in 2016.
However, at least four women, including a minor, died in the state in less than a month – between 30 November and 20 December 2019 – after they were allegedly raped and either set ablaze or shot dead.
1. Fatehpur Woman, Raped & Set Ablaze, Dies of Burns in Hospital
An 18-year-old woman, whose family had alleged that she was raped and set ablaze by the perpetrator in Fatehpur, succumbed to her burns at a hospital in Kanpur, officials said on Thursday, 19 December.
"She had suffered from organ failure including lungs and kidneys following serious injuries and we tried to resuscitate her, but she could not survive and died," Head of the department (surgery) at the hospital, Sanjay Kala told PTI.
The rape victim, who had over 90 percent burns, had been on ventilator support since 17 December due to continued multi-organ dysfunction.
An FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by the woman's family last week and an accused was arrested for rape and attempt to murder, according to Fatehpur SP Prashant Verma.
2. Unnao Rape Victim Dies Day After Being Set Afire
The 23-year-old Unnao rape victim who was airlifted to Delhi and admitted to Safdarjung Hospital with 90 percent burns after being set on fire died on 6 December.
She battled for life for almost 40 hours before she succumbed to her injuries.
The victim was allegedly abducted and raped by Shivam and Shubham Trivedi in December 2018. After a three month delay, the FIR was registered in March 2019.
Almost nine months later, the woman was set ablaze by the perpetrators Shivam and Shubham Trivedi, along with Harishankar Trivedi, Ram Kishore Trivedi, Umesh Bajpai.
“She asked me, ‘brother please save me’. I am very sad that I could not save her. My only demand is that the five men deserve death and nothing less,” the victim’s brother told PTI.
All the accused in the case have been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police.
3. 16-Year-Old Raped, Set Ablaze; Succumbed to Injuries in Sambhal
A 16-year-old girl who was allegedly raped and set ablaze by her neighbour in Sambhal earlier in November, succumbed to serious burns in a Delhi hospital on 30 November.
The minor girl was battling for life in the Safdarjung hospital in Delhi since 21 November.
She was alone at her house in the township in Nakhasa police station area when her neighbour, Zeeshan, allegedly raped her, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Alok Jaiswal had said.
He later poured kerosene and set her ablaze, the ASP said, adding she was rushed to the district hospital from where she was referred to Delhi.
The accused was arrested by the police.
The National Security Act (NSA) is being invoked against the culprit and the case will be taken up in the fast track court, the investigating officer promised.
4. Body of Woman Allegedly Raped Found in Chitrakoot
The body of an unidentified woman, bearing gunshot wounds to the head, was found inside an abandoned police booth in the Bargarh area of Chitrakoot district, officials said on 4 December.
The body of the woman aged about 26 was found on 3 December, Superintendent of Police (Chitrakoot) Ankit Mittal said.
The victim's face was also smashed with a blunt object, he said, adding it is suspected that she was raped.
The SP added that probe was underway in connection with the case.
(With inputs from PTI)
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