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Not safe in Rajasthan: BJP slams Gehlot govt after Dalit woman raped, burnt

The woman's was home alone when the accused, Shakur Khan, broke in and sexually assaulted her.

Published on: Apr 8, 2023, 11:59:17 IST
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Union jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Saturday hit out at Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot over women security in the state - after the gruesome incident - of Dalit woman raped and burnt with acid-like chemical came to light in Barmer district. Shekhawat claimed that the incident is not new, and that the woman would have survived - if the hospital she was admitted in had "burn centre".

Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (lefft) and Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot (right) (ANI Photo) (HT_PRINT)
Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (lefft) and Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot (right) (ANI Photo) (HT_PRINT)

“This is not a new incident in Rajasthan. A Dalit woman was raped in the daylight by a Muslim man who later tried to burn the woman alive. The woman was immediately admitted to a hospital where there was no burn unit. She was then referred to Jodhpur after 24 hrs and she died there due to lack of treatment. Women are not safe in the Ashok Gehlot's govt”, the Jodhpur MP was quoted as saying news agency ANI.

On Thursday, the woman's husband was away at work and his wife was home alone with their children in school when the accused, Shakur Khan, broke in and sexually assaulted her. Hearing the cries of his wife, their neighbour reached at the spot to rescue her, but the accused pushed the neighbour away, poured some acid-like chemical on his wife, and then fled the scene.

Barmer additional superintendent of police (ASP) Nitesh Arya has confirmed the development, and have arrested the accused who had been absconding.

It is also alleged that family members of the victim approached police around 1.30am on Thursday but police initially avoided filing an first information report (FIR). They said the FIR was lodged only after the case became critical. However, police said that they got informed about the incident around 3.30am and the FIR was lodged in the wee hours of Friday.

The accused Shakur Khan belonged to the same village as the woman.

  • Kanishka Singharia
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Kanishka Singharia

    Kanishka is a journalist at Hindustan Times’ news desk. When not in newsroom, you will find her on streets of Delhi exploring food cafes or capturing world through her lens.

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