Bulandshahr gang rape prime suspect dead

OP Katiyar, superintendent of Bulandshahr jail, said for the past five to six months, Bawariya had been suffering from several health ailments and died around 9am on Sunday.

The officials of the Bulandshahr jail on Sunday said that prime suspect Saleem Bawariya, accused in July 2016 Bulandshahr gangrape case of a 13-year-old girl and her mother, died due to health issues. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating the case. The arrests of three persons, including Saleem, was made by the Uttar Pradesh police in August, 2016.

SSP Bulandshahr, Santosh Kumar Singh, also confirmed the death of Bawariya in jail and said proper inquiry into the death would be taken up. (PTI/ Representative Image)

OP Katiyar, superintendent of Bulandshahr jail, said for the past five to six months, Bawariya had been suffering from several health ailments and died around 9am on Sunday. SSP Bulandshahr, Santosh Kumar Singh, also confirmed the death of Bawariya in jail and said proper inquiry into the death would be taken up.

“He had been facing kidney problems for the past five to six months for which he was given treatment in Meerut and also in Delhi. He also suffered Hepatitis C and died due to health conditions. On Sunday morning, he suffered some breathlessness and other complications and succumbed. The cases against him are still under trial. His family members had come from Kannauj but had no money. So we arranged facilities for them to take away his body. They have taken the body to Moradabad,” Katiyar said.

The initial FIR was registered by the UP police at Kotwali Dehat and the case later got transferred to the CBI. The agency has already chargesheeted the three suspects, including Bawariya. He was arrested by the UP police along with two accomplices, Zubair and Sajid.

The three were arrested in August, 2016 and had been lodged at Bulandshahr ever since.