Woman in Bareilly fabricates gang-rape, shooting allegation to frame Mayor, say police
Bareilly: A 40-year-old woman from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh has been accused of fabricating a sensational case involving abduction, gang-rape, and an attempt to murder, allegedly to falsely implicate the city’s Mayor, Dr Umesh Gautam, and his son.
According to police, the woman lodged a complaint on March 29, claiming that five men had abducted her, raped her inside a moving vehicle, and then shot her in the chest before abandoning her. The case initially triggered concern and a police response.
However, during the course of investigation, police uncovered discrepancies in her version of events. Medical examination results and CCTV footage from various locations mentioned in her complaint did not support her narrative. A key element of her allegation, the bullet injury on her chest, was found to be self-inflicted with assistance from an unlicensed doctor.
Police officials revealed that the woman had paid ₹2,500 to a quack to surgically implant a bullet into her body to make the injury appear real. The case came under scrutiny after the findings were reported by Hindi daily Navbharat Times.
Further investigation revealed that the woman had worked as a domestic help at Mayor Umesh Gautam’s residence until 2021. Police also noted that she had filed a similar complaint against the Mayor in 2022, which had been closed due to lack of evidence.
In her latest complaint, the woman alleged that the Mayor's son, Parth Gautam, had instructed the accused kidnappers over a phone call to eliminate her, claiming she was creating problems for his father. However, surveillance footage from the claimed locations of the incident failed to support her story.
Police said legal action would be taken in connection with the false complaint and for the involvement of the unlicensed doctor who assisted in the surgical procedure.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
