Badaun gang-rape more gruesome than December 16 incident: Family

Zee Media Bureau

Lucknow: A day after two constables were sacked in connection with the horrific gang-rape of two Dalit sisters in Badaun district of Uttar Pradesh, police on Saturday arrested fifth accused in the case. Two girls, who were cousins and aged 14 and 15, went missing from their house on the night of May 27 and their bodies were found hanging from a mango tree in a village in Ushait area the next morning. The family of the deceased alleged that local musclemen raped and then killed the girls. Out of the seven accused, five have been arrested so far. Two policemen - Sarvesh Yadav, Chhatrapal Yadav - and three others - Pappu, Awadhesh Yadav, Urvesh Yadav - are in police custody. The victims` families have alleged that police initially refused to act when they went to file the complaint. The family termed the incident as more gruesome than December 16 gang-rape case and demanded that the accused should be hanged publicly. Father of a victim said that the incident was "more gruesome than Delhi rape case which rocked the nation." "The manner in which the entire world saw our innocent girls hanging, we want that in the same manner it should watch the accused hanging. They should be hanged publicly," he said. The father said that he has no belief in the UP government`s promises and demanded a CBI probe into the case. The victims` family said that they don`t want any compensation, but only justice for their daughters. Reacting to the shameful incident, Congress leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi said that UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav should send out a stern message that anybody from whatever caste or position he holds, won`t be spared for such heinous crimes. SP Atul Kumar Saxena yesteday confirmed that the girls were raped before murdered. Sarvesh and Chhatrapal have been booked under Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC, while the three brothers --Pappu, Awadhesh and Urvesh-- and two others have been booked under Section 302 (murder) and 376 (rape) of IPC. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday spoke to Akhilesh Yadav in which the latter apprised the central minister, also an MP from Lucknow, that action had been initiated against the culprits. The Chief Minister has since recommended that the case be tried by a fast-track court. A detailed report has also been sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs.