Woman gang-raped in UP's Fatehpur; 2 held, 1 absconding
Kanpur (UP) (PTI): A woman in her 20s was allegedly raped by three men in Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur district while she was out with her fiance, with police saying two accused have been arrested.
The gangrape occurred last Friday in the Khaga Kotwali area, officials said on Tuesday evening.
The couple had stopped on their way to a relative's house due to the intense heat when two men allegedly approached them, questioned their presence, and began abusing them.
The accused allegedly assaulted the fiance, held him captive and raped the woman. A third accomplice was later called to the spot, after which all three men allegedly took turns assaulting her for nearly three hours.
According to the victim's fiance, the accused beat the couple, threatened them, filmed the assault, and forced the fiance to transfer Rs 2,500 online.
They also allegedly made the couple record a video stating that "nothing had happened," warning them against going to the police.
The couple initially approached the local police station but claimed their complaint was not registered, and they were mistreated.
An FIR was lodged only after they approached Fatehpur SP Abhimanyu Manglik on Sunday.
Police have since arrested two accused, Lalit (29) and Yuvraj Singh (28), based on transaction details and the survivor's identification.
The main accused, Bablu Singh (33), remains on the run, and a reward of Rs 50,000 has been announced for information on his whereabouts.
The accused have been booked for rape, extortion and under relevant provisions of the IT Act. Multiple teams, including the Special Operations Group (SOG), are working to track down the absconding accused.
Action has also been taken against police personnel for alleged negligence.
The station house officer, R K Patel, has been removed from his post and sent to police lines, and an outpost in-charge, Sub-Inspector Aneesh Singh, has been suspended.
The victim's family has alleged they are receiving threats and offers of money to withdraw the complaint. They have also claimed the main accused has a political affiliation with the party which is in power, an allegation denied by local party representatives.
A Samajwadi Party delegation visited the victim's village, demanding strict action. Police said further investigation is ongoing.
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Rahul Gandhi calls Great Nicobar Island project a ‘major threat’ to environment, tribal heritage
Sri Vijaypuram (Port Blair)/ Nicobar: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the Centre’s development initiative in Great Nicobar Island on Wednesday, On his maiden visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Gandhi alleged that the project will lad to large-scale environmental degradation and displacement of local communities.
The Rae Bareli MP, in a post on X after visiting the island, said the project would lead to extensive deforestation and adversely impact indigenous populations.
“So I will say it plainly, and I will keep saying it: what is being done in Great Nicobar is one of the biggest scams and gravest crimes against this country’s natural and tribal heritage in our lifetime,” Gandhi added.
“The government calls what it is doing here a ‘Project’. What I have seen is not a project. It is millions of trees marked for the axe… It is communities that have been ignored while their homes have been snatched away,” Gandhi said.
Describing the initiative as “destruction dressed in development’s language”, he termed it one of the “biggest scams” against the country’s natural and tribal heritage and called for it to be stopped.
Gandhi also claimed that nearly 160 square kilometres of rainforest could be affected, raising concerns over ecological damage.
