Badaun gang-rape: UN chief appalled, Centre says situation in UP deplorable

Zee Media Bureau/Biplob Ghosal

New Delhi: While the United Nations chief Ban Ki-Moon on Wednesday said that he is appalled by the brutal rape and murder of two teenaged girls in India`s Badaun district and demanded urgent action in the case, the Centre also said that the law and order situation in Samajwadi Party-ruled Uttar Pradesh is deplorable. Taking note of the recent rape cases in Uttar Pradesh, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiran Rijiju said the situation in the state is a matter of concern. The Centre`s reaction comes after several horrific sexual assault cases have been reported in the last few days from UP. The most shocking is the Badaun gang-rape case. The two girls, aged 14 and 15 years, were abducted, gang-raped and murdered on May 27 when they went to relieve themselves in a field. Their bodies were later found hanging from a tree. In another case, a woman judge was raped and an attempt was made to kill her in Aligarh, police said on Tuesday. A 15-year-old girl was allegedly murdered and her body was found hanging from a tree in Misrikh area of the district. Under intense criticism over Badaun gang-rape case, UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav yesterday said a Google search would show such crimes occurring across the country. Yadav made the assertion as he accused the media of playing up incidents taking place in UP.