Yet another Dalit woman gang-raped, dies in UP

Balrampur: Amid the widespread outrage over the alleged gang-rape and murder of a Dalit teen from Hathras in Uttar Pradesh, yet another scheduled caste woman died in Balrampur district of the state while being rushed to a hospital after she was raped by two youths.

Balrampur Superintendent of Police Dev Ranjan Verma said the incident happened in the Gaisari area of the district, where a 22-year-old Dalit woman, working in a private firm, failed to return home in time on Tuesday evening, prompting her parents to start looking for her.

The woman's parents said she did not respond to calls on her mobile phone, triggering panic among family members, the police said.

The woman, however, returned home shortly later in an autorickshaw with an intravascular cannula, medically known as Vigo and used for administering injection, glucose or other fluids in the body, inserted in her hand, the police said, quoting her parents.

The girl looked dazed and in a serious condition, prompting her parents to rush her to a nearby hospital, but she died on the way, said the SP.

When the matter was reported to the police from the hospital, the parents alleged that their daughter was gang-raped, SP Verma said.

Acting on the parent's complaint, police identified the accused as Shahid and Sahil and arrested them, the SP said.

Reacting to the incident, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav said, "After Hathras, now a daughter was harassed and gang-raped in Balrampur. The victim died in serious condition. Condolences!"

"The BJP government should commit no laxity in this case as was done in Hathras and arrest the accused immediately," he added with a hashtag#Balrampur... #NoMoreBJP" on his Tweeter handle.