Budaun Gangrape: Police Arrest Absconding Main Accused After He Hid For 2 Days In The Same Village

The main accused, identified as Baba Satya Narayan, had been hiding in the same village for the last two days while several police teams were looking for him all over the state.

Representative Image (Photo by Prakash SINGH / AFP)

Police arrested the priest, the main accused in the alleged gangrape of a 50-year-old Anganwadi worker, in Uttar Pradesh Badaun, on Thursday night. He had been hiding in the same village for the last two days while several police teams including STF were looking for him all over the state. Police had a tough time tracking him despite a reward Rs 50, 000 on his arrest. The main accused, Satyanarayan, an occultist, was arrested on Thursday after the villagers nabbed him and reported to the police, while the other two men who are said to be his disciples were arrested on Wednesday. The horrific incident took place when a 50-year-old victim, who worked as an Anganwadi worker, went to perform pooja in a temple on Sunday evening. The post-mortem report confirms that an iron rod was inserted into her private parts. According to the autopsy, the woman's ribs were broken and her left lung also suffered damage during the attack. The report attributed the woman's death to excessive bleeding and shock. The woman's son alleged his mother's body was dumped at their house in the night by three men including a priest, a driver. It is alleged that the local police did not reach the spot even after getting information about the incident. The body was sent for post-mortem only on Monday, a good 18 hours after the horrific incident. Following this, based on a complaint filed by her family members, a case was registered against the priest and his two aides at Ughaiti police station under 376 (d) and 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The station in-charge of Ughaiti police station was suspended for negligence after a probe ordered by Sankalp Sharma, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Budaun found him guilty.

NCW meets the victim's family

On Thursday, a two-member team from the National Commission for Women (NCW) met the victim’s family members at their village and expressed dissatisfaction over the police action in the case. Chandramukhi Devi, a member of the team, said the incident was "most sickening and unfortunate" and placing a station officer under suspension is not enough. Such heinous incidents are happening despite campaigns like 'mission Shakti' and ' beti bachao-beti padhao' as criminals do not fear the police, she added.

NCW Member Blames Victim For Going Out In Evening

the National Commission for Women (NCW) member Chandramukhi Devi on Thursday said that the gruesome gangrape and murder of a 50-year-old woman in Uttar Pradesh's Badaun could have been avoided if the victim had not gone out in the evening. "I tell women again and again that they should never go out at odd hours under anyone's influence," said the NCW member after meeting the woman's family members. The video of her insensitive statement went viral on social media with several criticising NCW for such remark. "I think if she had not gone out in the evening or was accompanied by any child of the family perhaps this incident could have been avoided. But this was pre-planned as she was called through a phone call. She went (out) and then returned in such a state," she told reporters at the victim's village in the district.