Etawah rape case: UP govt orders magisterial probe

Etawah: The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday ordered a magisterial probe into the rape of a 20-year-old girl, who was allegedly sexually assaulter by three men and set on fire. The woman is currently battling for life at a district hospital in Etawah.

Interestingly, Etawah is the home district of Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. Akhilesh Yadav-ruled UP governmwent has so far failed to improve the law and order situation in the state with incidents of crimes against women surfacing regularly. Adding to the fuel was a callous statement by the party where it claimed such incidents took place across the country.

Meanwhile, contradicting statements have emerged in the rape case. Police are claiming that the girl in her declaration had said that she was raped by a man and was later set on fire by his family, while the survivor's family has alleged that the girl was raped by three men.

The family has further claimed that the girl and the accused were lovers and were planning to get married. Earlier, there were reports that the girl had succumbed to her injures but later it was clarified that she was still battling for life.

"She was burnt after three men raped her. We approached the police for help but they did nothing. We have been running around seeking help for the last three days," the brother of the survivor said. The sister of the girl, who is a BA student, also alleged that police did not help them and instead accused them of being involved in the crime. "Three or four men raped her and the boy said he will not marry her. My sister was heartbroken," the girl's sister said.

In a yet another horrific incident in Uttar Pradesh, the tongue of a rape survivor was chopped off in Pratapgarh late on Wednesday night. The minor was allegedly gangraped on January 22.

"The girl was called to identify the accused. Three of the accused attacked the girl with a sharp object and her tongue has been cut. The brother of the accused also tried to molest her," Rajkumar Vishwakarma IPS IG Law and Order said on Thursday. The girl is in a serious condition in the hospital. The police are investigating the case.