In a shocking incident, a woman from the dalit community in the Balrampur district of Uttar Pradesh has come forward with a case of gang rape. The victim, a 50-year-old woman belonging to the scheduled caste, has filed a complaint with the local Uttaroula police station against three Islamists.
Expressing frustration over the delayed action by the authorities, the victim released a video, appealing for justice and her safety to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
According to the complainant, the alleged perpetrator is Mehboob, the son of Maulvi Tajuddin, who runs a clothing store raped her. The victim claimed that she purchased a saree from his shop in Siddharthanagar district on December 15, 2023. Upon inspecting the saree at home, she discovered it was torn. Accompanied by her friend, she visited Mehboob’s store on December 17, 2023, only to find him absent.
A salesman informed them that Mehboob was at home, prompting the victim and her friend to go to Mehboob’s residence. Besides Mehboob, his father Tajuddin, Jamaluddin, and Nasreen were inside the house. The victim and her friend were separated, with the latter asked to wait outside.
Subsequently, the victim was taken inside by Nasreen, also known as Neetu, and then subjected to gang rape by Jamaluddin, Tajuddin, and Mehboob in succession.
The victim raised an alarm, prompting her friend to start creating a commotion outside. In response, the accused not only verbally abused the victim with casteist slurs but also issued threats to kill her if she dared to report the incident.
The victim claims that the entire incident was captured on the CCTV cameras installed in the accused’s shop, and she insists that the footage will corroborate her account. Despite filing a complaint on the same day of the incident with the SHO of Uttaroula, no action was taken, leading the victim to escalate the matter to the district police chief.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the delayed response and investigation, the victim released a video on January 25, 2024, urging Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to intervene and ensure justice for her and her family. The video emphasises the threats to her life and the need for immediate action against Tajuddin, Jamaluddin, and Mehboob.
The Uttar Pradesh government has yet to comment on the video as public outrage and demands for swift justice grow. The police are now under pressure to expedite the investigation and take appropriate action against the accused in this distressing incident.
