Day after her death, Noida woman’s kin protests with body; cops wait for post-mortem report

Police said they have questioned the two main suspects, some toll plaza staff and hospital staff members again in connection with the case.

A day after a 20-year-old accident victim died of multiple injuries while undergoing treatment at a Delhi hospital, her family on Monday protested with her body at its residence in a Noida village. Members of her family said they had wanted to protest outside the local police station but the police did not allow them.

A team of police personnel was deployed in Sarfabad village, Noida, to ensure law and order after the death of a 20-year-old woman, in Noida, Monday, January 20, 2020.(Sunil Ghosh / HT Photo)

Officers said they interrogated some people on Monday in connection with the woman’s death, who died at the GTB hospital January 19. Police said they have questioned the two main suspects, some toll plaza staff and hospital staff members again in connection with the case.

However, the Noida police are waiting for the post-mortem reports from the Delhi hospital to take further action in the case.

Sankalp Sharma, deputy commissioner of police (zone 1), said the police have accessed some CCTV footage from the toll plaza on the Yamuna Expressway in which the four persons’ movement was purportedly captured. “We questioned the two prime suspects – Shyam and Sachin – regarding the case. They revealed that this was an accident by a speeding car. We have scanned CCTV footage from the Yamuna Expressway toll plaza, in which the four persons can be seen. We do not have the video footage of the accident, since the spot was a few kilometres away from the toll plaza. We are waiting for the post-mortem report from the Delhi hospital. We will take action based on medical reports,” Sharma said.

The woman’s kin January 19 had protested at the Sector 49 police station, alleging she was gang-raped and assaulted by her two friends on Friday, resulting in her death. The woman had gone to Mathura with the suspects and another person from Noida on Friday. At around 9pm, she suffered injuries in an accident. She died during treatment at a Delhi hospital Sunday morning.

Police said the woman worked in a watch manufacturing company in Sector 68, Noida and lived in a nearby village. The suspects were identified as 20-year-old Deepa, the woman’s co-worker, Deepa’s brother, 22-year-old Shyam, and their common friend, 21-year-old Sachin. Shyam is a resident of Sarfabad village while the other two live in Gadhi village in Noida.

The woman’s maternal uncle said the family members are pained over the tragic incident. “We had filed a complaint and named two men and one woman in the FIR. The police have not taken any action in this case,” he said. Her family had said they would not cremate the body till arrests were made in the case. They cremated the body by Monday evening, after police officers assured of fair probe in the matter.

Aditya Kumar Shukla, superintendent of police (rural), Mathura, said the matter has been brought to his knowledge. “Mathura police had not received a call after the incident. Now, the Noida police have registered a case and are investigating the matter. Mathura police will cooperate in the investigation,” he said.

The Noida Sector 49 police station has registered a case under Section 376-D (gang-rape) and Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3 (2) (V) of the SC/ST Act in this matter.