The son of a retired IAS officer was arrested for allegedly attacking a woman with a brick after she refused to marry him in Uttar Pradesh's Bithoor.
The victim, a widow employed at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K), sustained serious head and facial injuries in the assault by Devashish Nigam, son of retired IAS officer Chandra Nigam, news agency PTI reported.
The woman is now undergoing treatment at Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital. According to police, she regained consciousness nearly 24 hours after the incident.
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Alleged assault after argument
According to the police and the First Information Report (FIR), the incident took place on Saturday when Nigam picked up the woman in his car from near the IIT-Kanpur campus and drove towards Brahm Ghat in Bithoor.
Police said Nigam allegedly pressured the woman to marry him during the drive. However, as she refused his proposal, an argument broke out between the two.
{{/usCountry}}Police said Nigam allegedly pressured the woman to marry him during the drive. However, as she refused his proposal, an argument broke out between the two.
{{/usCountry}}According to the preliminary investigation, Nigam stopped the car near Model Dairy along the railway service lane and allegedly attacked the woman with a brick.
Investigators said that when the woman tried to protect herself by locking the car door, Nigam smashed the window and dragged her out onto the road and repeatedly struck her on the head and body.
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Locals intervene, accused handed over to police
Police said residents rushed to the spot after hearing the woman's screams, stopped the accused and handed him over to the police.
The victim's sister alleged that Nigam had been continuously pressuring her sister to marry him and had issued threats in the past.
"He used to claim that nobody could touch him because his mother was a retired IAS officer," she said.
Police identified Nigam as a resident of Raj Tower in Swaroop Nagar. Officials confirmed that his mother, Chandra Nigam, is a retired IAS officer.
According to officials, Nigam was married in 2014 and also has a daughter. But he has reportedly been living separately from his wife for the past six months. The victim is a widow, and she has a teenage daughter.
Police investigation underway
Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) S.M. Qasim Abidi said case has been registered against the accused under charges including attempt to murder and voluntarily causing grievous hurt.
"The accused was arrested on Sunday and all aspects of the case are being investigated," the DCP said.
The videos showing the assault and residents confronting the accused have surfaced on social media and created heavy outrage.