From work offer to 5-km assault: Henna artist dies in car crash in Lucknow, rape bid claim surfaces
In the Banthra assault case, three accused allegedly lured a henna artist and her cousin, leading to a fatal crash after an attempted assault.
The three accused in the Banthra assault case appeared to have carefully laid a trap of sorts for 30-year-old henna artist and her 18-year-old cousin, winning their confidence and offering to hire the henna artist for a ‘haldi’ ceremony, all of which culminated in a 5-km alleged assault and a fatal car crash.
The accused, all three of whom are now in police custody for interrogation, have claimed to the police that they had known the women for some time and been in touch with them. Of the three accused, two work in private companies, and one is a freelance photographer, officials said.
Once the women got into their car on Thursday night, the accused allegedly attempt to outrage the modesty of the duo in the moving vehicle in the Banthra area of Lucknow.
The car overturned, killing the henna artist and seriously injuring the younger woman near Ramdaspur village.
DCP South Nipun Agarwal confirmed the three — Ajay, Vikas, and Adarsh-- were in custody and being interrogated.
“The accused were known to the women and had been in touch with them for some time,” the police officer said.
“Ajay told police during interrogation that a stray dog came in front of the car, which led to the crash,” said Agarwal.
During interrogation, the accused told the police that the henna artist recently befriended Vikas, resident of Piphari Majra Rahim Nagar, during a tilak ceremony in Ramdaspur village, according to a police official.
The two had exchanged mobile phone numbers and stayed in contact, the accused further claimed, according to the official.
On Thursday, the henna artist and her cousin attended a mehndi function where Vikas and the other two accused were also present, the accused said, according to the police official.
Later that night, the group decided to go for an outing, the police official said, citing the claim of the accused, whose version did not make it clear where they intended to go.
While doubts about the veracity of the accused’s claims remain, it is not clear if they were trying to mislead the investigators.
Eyewitnesses told police that all three youths fled the scene after the car crash, according to the official.
Meanwhile, Agarwal said that the officials are now verifying the facts alleged in the FIR filed by the husband of the deceased.
He said the younger woman’s statement will be recorded before the judicial magistrate and her medical examination will be conducted.
The police acted on an FIR filed by the deceased woman’s husband, who alleged that the men had lured his wife on the pretext of a ‘haldi’ ceremony booking. The women, residents of Banthra, got into the vehicle with the trio on Thursday evening.
Once the car started moving, the men allegedly began misbehaving with the women, according to the FIR filed on Friday and the initial police investigation.
When the women resisted, the accused gagged them with a dupatta and allegedly beat and stabbed them while the vehicle was still in motion. The assault continued for about 5 kilometres, after which the car overturned near Ramdaspur.
The elder sister died on the spot from injuries sustained in the crash, while the younger one is undergoing treatment at a hospital and remains in critical condition.
FIR and legal action
Banthra station house officer AN Singh said police have booked the accused under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 281 (rash and negligent driving), 75(2) (sexual harassment), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt) and 352(3) (criminal intimidation).
All three were taken into custody within 24 hours, police said.
No evidence of stabbing or sexual assault yet: Police
DCP Agarwal added that post-mortem findings have not confirmed any knife wounds or signs of sexual assault so far.
“A panel of doctors has examined the body, and there were no visible injuries suggestive of stabbing or molestation. However, we are not ruling anything out and further forensic examination is underway,” he said.
Police also said no alcohol test of the three accused has been conducted yet, but it will be done after the interrogation concludes.
The victims’ family members staged a protest outside the Banthra police station on Friday morning, demanding immediate arrests and strict action. The demonstration, which lasted nearly 30 minutes, ended after police assured swift action.
CCTV, call data being examined
Police teams are also reviewing CCTV footage from nearby areas and are analysing the call detail records of the accused and victims to verify the sequence of events and trace communication prior to the incident.
