Even as the anger continues to boil across the country over the brutal gang rape and murder of a 27-year-old veterinary doctor in Telangana, another shocking crime has surfaced.?
In Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, a 23-year-old woman was set on fire when she was on her way to a court in Raebareli in connection with a gang-rape case which she had filed a year ago.?The incident happened on the wee hours of Thursday when the rape victim and her family were on their way to catch an early morning train.?
On the way, they were confronted by six men including two of her rapists who attacked her with a knife before they poured kerosene and set her on fire.The woman was rescued and rushed to a nearby hospital by some local residents who rushed to the spot hearing her cry.?
The woman who had suffered major burns was first admitted to district hospital Unnao, but after her condition deteriorated she was shifted to Lucknow civil hospital."The survivor has sustained 90 percent burns," said chief medical officer of Civil Hospital in Lucknow, DS Negi.?
In a statement to the police from the hospital, the woman said that she was attacked by the two accused who had raped her a year ago and were presently out on bail. Based on her statement, police have arrested four men including the two rapists, identified as Hari Shankar Trivedi and Shubham Trivedi.?
According to the police the two men had raped her in March this year. one of them was arrested while the second was on the run. He was granted bail in the case recently.?
Confirming the arrests, DGP OP Singh said the case was transferred to Rae Bareli following court orders a few months ago.?
Wednesday's attack on the rape complaint is reminiscent to a similar incident in Unnao a few months ago, where the family of a girl who had complained about sexual assault by now expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar survived an attempt on her life.
The girl, her aunt, another relative and lawyer were travelling on a car when an overspeeding truck, driving on the wrong side and had its number plate smeared with black paint hit their vehicle on NH-31.?
While one of the relatives was killed, the rape victim and her lawyer were left critically injured. She was later shifted to the AIIMS in Delhi and was discharged from hospital in September, after nearly a month of treatment.The family had alleged that they had been facing threats from Sengar and his associates who had vowed to eliminate them.?