Trigger warning: This article talks about rape and assault.
Two men allegedly gangraped a 20-year-old Dalit woman at gunpoint at Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur.
Reports say the two accused are absconding.
The Indian Express reports that in the incident that happened two weeks ago, the two accused forced themselves into her home in Kanpur Dehat district and raped her at gunpoint.
The police have said that the accused, one of whom is a former village head, warned her and told her not to tell anyone about the assault.
Sameer Kumar Singh, the in-charge of Derapur police station, told The Times of India, “The woman stated that on October 8, she was alone in the house and attending daily chores, when at around 10 pm two men — Kamlesh and Dinesh — of Amauli Kurmiyan village barged into her house and after holding her gun point took turns to rape her. They thereafter threatened the woman of dire consequences on speaking about the incident to family members and fled. She disclosed about the incident to her kin on Saturday and subsequently lodged an FIR against the accused.”
The woman’s parents filed a police complaint.
Superintendent of Police (Kanpur Dehat) Keshav Kumar Choudhary told PTI, “The incident took place a week back, but the police were informed about the alleged gang rape on Sunday.”
A case has been registered under relevant sections of IPC and the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
The incident comes to light at a time when Uttar Pradesh has been in the spotlight for incidents of sexual assault against Dalit women.
A 19-year-old Dalit woman died in September after fighting for her life for two weeks. Four men belonging to the Thakur community in Hathras allegedly raped her and left her with severe injuries that proved fatal.
Last week, a minor girl from the Dalit community was found dead in the paddy fields of UP’s Barabanki. The family has alleged rape, but the police have denied this.
(With PTI inputs)