Woman employee ‘gangraped’ in homestay; video of her begging for help goes viral

A mother of four, the victim initially joined the homestay as a salaried employee a year and a half ago. However, the situation took a distressing turn when five individuals, now identified as the accused, coerced her into giving them ₹4.5 lakh.

AGRA A woman employee of a city-based homestay was allegedly gang-raped within the limits of Tajganj police station on Saturday. A disturbing video of her begging for help, which has been doing rounds on social media, has now caught national attention. It is alleged that the woman was forced to consume alcohol and then sexually assaulted.

Five accused, including another female employee of the homestay, have been arrested in the case (HT Photo)

Swinging into action, police have arrested five people, including a woman, in the case. Archana Singh, assistant commissioner of police (Sadar Circle), said, “Based on the victim’s complaint, a case has been registered under section 376D (gangrape), 323 (voluntarily caused hurt), 307 (attempt to murder) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code and section 7 and 8 of Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act at Tajganj police station.”

She added, “The accused include those involved in running the homestay. A female employee of the homestay is also among the named accused. Further investigation is underway.” They have been identified as -- Jeetendra (alias Jitu Rathore), Ravi Rathore, Manish Kumar, Dev Kishore, and another woman employee at homestay.

A mother of four, the victim initially joined the homestay as a salaried employee a year and a half ago. However, the situation took a distressing turn when five individuals, now identified as the accused, coerced her into giving them ₹4.5 lakh. The money she handed over was from the sale of a piece of land. The accused acquired this amount, claiming to possess a compromising video of her. Using this as leverage, they resorted to blackmail, threatening to release the video publicly.

The victim, in her thirties, has alleged that the accused resorted to manipulation and coercion, forcing her into “immoral acts”. On Saturday, they allegedly lured her to the homestay under the guise of Diwali celebrations, where they forcibly made her consume alcohol. When she protested, the accused struck a glass bottle on her head and gangraped her.

A purported video of her begging for help has gone viral. The woman can be seen crying as she is huddled against the railing of a balcony on the ground floor of a house. Later, the woman is seen being dragged into a room by a man, who also tried to cover her mouth as she screamed.

According to sources at Tajganj police station, all five accused were presented before the court on Sunday and sent to judicial custody.