Teen rape survivor hacked to death by accused and his brother in UP
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A 19-year-old woman was brutally hacked to death in broad daylight by two brothers, one of whom was accused of raping her previously. She was butchered with an axe on the main road as villagers watched in fear.
The accused, Pawan Nishad, and his brother, Ashok Nishad, were released on bail shortly before the murder.
The harrowing incident took place in Uttar Pradesh's Kaushambi district.
The victim had previously accused Pawan Nishad of raping her three years ago when she was a minor. Reports indicate that since the alleged rape, Pawan and his associates had been harassing her, persistently pressuring her to withdraw the case against him.
His brother, Ashok Nishad, had been released from custody less than two days before this tragic incident, having been involved in a separate murder case.
According to the police, the two brothers plotted to confront the victim's family, intending to coerce them into closing the case. When the young woman adamantly refused to retract her statement, the brothers ambushed and viciously attacked her while she was returning home after tending to her family's cattle in a nearby field.
The perpetrators fled the scene following the murder, and currently, both Pawan and Ashok Nishad are evading arrest.
Kaushambi Superintendent of Police, Brijesh Srivastava, described the incident as stemming from a dispute between two parties within the community, emphasising an ongoing feud and legal battles between them. He confirmed that a police complaint had been filed, and the accused were being pursued by law enforcement.
The gruesome incident has sparked political uproar in the state, with the opposition Congress party condemning the brutal act. They highlighted the assailants' history, citing the recent release of one brother involved in a murder case and the other accused of raping the victim.
The tragic event once again drew attention to the state's record of crimes against women, raising concerns about the safety and security of women in Uttar Pradesh.
The incident comes merely two months after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath made strong statements about protecting women, following a similar incident in Ambedkar Nagar district, where a teenager lost her life after being targeted while riding a bicycle.
Data from the National Crime Records Bureau revealed that Uttar Pradesh recorded over 56,000 cases of crimes against women in 2021, the highest among all states, encompassing various offenses such as rape, rape and murder, and acid attacks.
