Rape survivor, mother shot at in Moradabad; out of danger
The incident occurred on the Ramganga bridge along the busy Rampur Road, just as the rape survivor was returning home from a court along with her mother and brother.
A rape survivor, her mother, and a rickshaw-puller were injured after three bike-borne men wearing helmets allegedly opened fire on them in Moradabad district around 4pm on Saturday, police said.
The incident occurred on the Ramganga bridge along the busy Rampur Road, just as the rape survivor was returning home from a court along with her mother and brother. The three victims who sustained bullet injuries were rushed to the district hospital, police added.
According to eyewitnesses and police accounts, the accused overtook the rickshaw and blocked its path on the bridge. One of them removed his helmet, whipped out a pistol and allegedly opened fire. The other two also joined in, firing nearly 10 rounds within a minute before speeding off the scene.
Additional superintendent of police Kumar Ranvijay Singh said, “All three victims are undergoing treatment and are out of danger. The statements of the rape survivor and her mother are being recorded. Based on a complaint, an FIR will be registered. We are trying to identify the attackers. They will be arrested soon.”
Police officers who reached the spot recovered four empty bullet shells. The girl had filed a rape complaint against former block pramukh and notorious gangster Lalit Kaushik nearly two years ago.
The rape survivor’s brother alleged that the assailants likely acted at the behest of Lalit Kaushik, accused of raping his then-minor sister. He alleged that Kaushik orchestrated the attack fearing conviction.
As per police records, Lalit Kaushik is a notorious gangster from western U.P. with over 30 criminal cases registered against him. These include the high-profile murder of chartered accountant Shwetabh Tiwari, an attempted assassination of an RSS leader, and several other contract killings. He is currently incarcerated in Balrampur jail, officials said.
In 2015, he was accused of involvement in the murder of Yogendra Singh alias Bhura, the then block chief of Dilari. Singh was gunned down at the doorstep of a courtroom inside the Moradabad court premises, officials added.
