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14-year-old dies after sexual assault in Basti; 3 arrested
Police officials said the minor’s body was found near the Birau Crossing in the wee hours of Tuesday. She was then taken to a local health centre where she was declared brought-dead.
A 14-year-old girl died after she was allegedly sexually assaulted by three men in Basti district, police said on Wednesday. The alleged assault took place in the Gaur area on Monday when the minor had gone to buy vegetables.
Police officials said the minor’s body was found near the Birau Crossing in the wee hours of Tuesday. She was then taken to a local health centre where she was declared brought-dead.
The three accused, identified as Monu Sahni, Rajan Nishad and Kundan Singh, who allegedly took her to a secluded place and sexually assaulted her, were arrested on Wednesday, Basti superintendent of police (SP) Gopal Krishna Chaudhary said.
They’ve been booked under sections 376 (rape), 302 (murder) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Earlier, enraged locals protested with the body and blocked traffic to demand the immediate arrest of the accused.
Gaur police station in-charge Brijesh Patel said the police have recovered a blood-stained bedsheet from the residence of accused Kundan Singh, who’s said to be an office-bearer of BJP Kisan Morcha.
The incident also triggered criticism of the government by leader of opposition Akhilesh Yadav, who tweeted, “People are crying against rapists but to shield their men, the BJP government has turned deaf. The BJP has become ‘aramgaah’ (resting place) for rapists.” He also posted an 18-second video in which people were seen protesting against the incident.
Samajwadi Party leaders Atul Choudhary and Mahendra Yadav, along with former minister Ram Prasad Chaudhary, visited the village to express solidarity with the victim’s family.
Abdur Rahman/PTI inputs
