Caravan Daily
LUCKNOW — In a horific repeat of the Kathua gang-rape and killing which has left the entire nation struggling with rage and grief, a minor girl of 8, has reportedly been raped and strangled in Etah, Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.
The incident took place in Sitalpur village. The minor girl had gone to attend a marriage ceremony along with her parents in Etah. As the marriage celebrations were on, the accused took the victim to a nearby secluded under-construction building where he raped her and choked her to death. Amid the loud music from the marriage venue nobody could heared the cries of the victim.
When people realised that the girl had been missing for a while, they started a search and found her body.
She was found unconscious in a semi-naked condition, with strangulation marks on her neck. Her abdomen also had blood stains, according to a report in The Times of India.
The government hospital in Etah, where she was taken, declared her as brought dead.
The accused, identified as Sonu, has been arrested. He has been charged under Sections 376 (rape) and 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code, and the POCSO Act. Sonu worked in a tent-house that puts up wedding marquees in the village. The girl’s family was from a nearby village and related to the bride.
A probe in underway even as police forces have been deployed in view of the growing tension over a number of rape cases coming to light in the recent past.
Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is already fighting public anger over the rape of a teen allegedly by a ruling party lawmaker in Unnao.
Meanwhile, a mob staged a massive protest on Tuesday blocking the Etah -Farrukhabad road along with the body of an eight-year old girl, who was raped and murdered.
The mob first snatched the body of the victim, raped and murdered on Monday night, from the police and sat on a dharna in front of the Vikas Bhawan.
Mr Ram Sevek Pal, the father of the girl, demanded that the accused should be handed over to them.
“Khoon ka Badla Khoon” (Blood for blood) was the slogan of the mob and it was demanded by the father too.
They also said that the blockade would be lifted only after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath comes there to hear their grievances.
(with inputs from IANS)
