Woman assaulted by neighbours over friend’s death, five held

Five members of a family were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly beating up their neighbour, a 22-year-old woman and her family, allegedly blaming them for the death of their 24-year-old male relative

Five members of a family were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly beating up their neighbour, a 22-year-old woman and her family, allegedly blaming them for the death of their 24-year-old male relative.

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The man was found dead on July 6 in Uttarakhand where he worked, police said; he died by suicide, according to them.

The woman said he was urging her to marry him. “We had known each other for a long time. But whenever he asked me to marry him, I refused. He visited his family in Noida last month and there were some issues. After his death, his family didn’t file a complaint but harassed and blamed me for his death,” said the woman.

She said on Sunday night, members of the man’s family forced their way into her home in Noida Phase 3.

“They dragged my brother and me out and hit us with sticks. My parents too were assaulted. My mother suffered a fracture to her arm and my brother suffered blows to his head. I have multiple stitches on my forehead. Other neighbours intervened and called the police, and only then did they let us go. They threatened more harm. We are scared because they have a licensed gun,” said the woman.

Based on her mother’s complaint, a case was registered at the Phase 3 police station against the dead man’s parents, three brothers, a relative and two sisters-in-law under sections 147 (rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation), 354 (intending to outrage woman’s modesty) , among others, of the Indian Penal Code.

“We have arrested the father, the brothers and the relative for the assault. A probe in the matter is still underway. Due action will be taken,” Vivek Triwedi, station house officer of Phase 3 police station, said, adding that a magistrate sent them to judicial custody for 14 days.