Robbers gang-rape 12-yr-old, assault parents in UP's Lucknow

Lucknow: A gang of armed robbers allegedly barged into a house, assaulted the family and gang-raped their 12-year-old daughter in a nearby field on the outskirts of Lucknow on Tuesday night.

The father said he was asleep with his wife, daughter and two sons in their one-room house when the robbers knocked on the door around 1:00 a.m. When he did not open the door, the men broke the latch and forced their way in.

"Five persons came to my door and asked to open the door. They abused and asked to open the door...They beat me, my wife and children and looted clothes, utensils and jewellery," the father said.

Police came after half an hour. The father added that his family had no dispute with anyone or personal enmity with anyone. 

"I was neither involved in gambling nor had enmity with anyone," he said. 

The parents managed to escape after a while, followed by their sons. The robbers allegedly carried the girl to a field a few meters away and gang-raped her. The girl was found there after the police reached the area and searched for her.

The girl and her father, a carpenter, were both taken to a city hospital for medical examination and treatment. A relative, Poonam Sharma said, "Three men entered Asaram Sharma's house. Two of them held the father down and the third hit him on the head. They pulled the wife outside and took away the daughter. The brother followed them but they kicked him. Then they did wrong things with her and left her after one or one and half hour."

"There were 12 people in total. They stood near the village. The girl was around 11-year-old. She has been admitted in the hospital and I am not aware of her condition right now. They have taken jewellery and machines used for drilling," she added.

The eight year old son, Dipankar said, "They asked us to open the door and when we did not open, they forcefully broke down the door. Then they took mother outside and beat her up, after which they took father outside and hit him on his head. Father ran away and then three of us were left. Then they took my elder sister away. We tried to follow, but they beat us and kicked us."

Lucknow Senior Superintendent of Police, Manzil Saini said "This is an incident from last night under police station Para area. There is this village Seelampur where at around 1-2 am at night, some 6-7 criminals entered the house. The house is small and not many items were stolen. But, there was a 12-year-old child who was abducted and they did wrong things with the child after taking her 500-600 meters away in a field. I have inspected the crime area and have talked to the victim. She is under medical treatment and is fine now."

The family also complained that the robbers had taken Rs 2,000 cash and some jewellery and utensils. An FIR under Sections 376D (gangrape), 395 (dacoity) and 397 (dacoity with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) of the IPC, and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) has been lodged at Para police station.