A 40-year-old woman, who was allegedly raped by a 20-year-old in Muzaffarnagar last week, consumed poison and killed herself after clips of the incident started being circulated on WhatsApp. According to a report on The Indian Express, the woman had met the accused when she had gone to the latter's home to help his sister-in-law give birth. Following that, the accused trailed her and even blocked her way a couple of times.
The victim consumed poison at Chapra village yesterday after she came to know about the objectionable video being circulated on WhatsApp, city SP Pradeep Gupta told PTI.
The victim's husband lodged a complaint after her death, though no complaint was lodged after the rape.
Indian Express reports: "He said the video appeared to have been shot in a field. He also claimed that call detail records of the woman and the accused suggested that they were in touch in the last two months."
Hundreds of ASHA workers descended on the victim's home and refused to let her body cremated till the accused were arrested and the family paid a proper compensation. One worker told IE that the victim was the sole breadwinner of a family which has three children. Her husband was will and hence stayed at home.
BJP MP and minister Sanjeev Balyan visited the woman's house and said, “The 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."
Though the accused was arrested promptly under charges of rape and abetment of suicide, Gupta told The Indian Express that the security forces are being cautious and keeping the area under strict surveillance as the accused Shahid and the victim belong to different religious communities.
Gupta said, "“There is tension in the village. It also involves two communities, so it is a bit sensitive. We have ensured heavy police deployment."
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