Lucknow: The father of a 13-year-old ‘gang rape’ victim died Wednesday under suspicious circumstances in UP’s Kanpur district of northern India, a day after he filed a police complaint naming the alleged rapists.
The police said he was hit by a truck outside the community health centre where his daughter’s medical examination was being done. The incident took place in Ghatampur area of the district.
Kanpur Deputy Inspector General Preetinder Singh said an “accident case” has been registered.
The family members of the victim and villagers, however, alleged that this was a murder.
“My granddaughter was raped, my son has been murdered. The police are complicit,” the girl’s grandfather said while speaking to the media.
The family lives in a village under the Sajeti police station.
The police had filed a case of gang rape and criminal intimidation Tuesday based on a complaint lodged by the girl’s father.
Brijesh Srivastava, Additional SP (Rural), Kanpur, said while main accused Golu Yadav has been arrested, two others — Deepu Yadav and Saurabh — are absconding.
A member of the family said they were “facing threats” after lodging the complaint.
“As soon as we filed the complaint (Tuesday), the family of the main accused started threatening us. ‘Beware, my father is a sub-inspector’, they told us,” he added.
‘Search on for absconding accused’
The family members and villagers, meanwhile, protested against the UP Police after hearing the news of the Ghatampur “accident” that killed the girl’s father.
“When the victim’s father was going to the police station at 9 am Tuesday, the accused’s elder brother threatened the family. Somehow, the family reached the Sajeti police station and filed the complaint,” said one of them.
In a video statement, DIG Preetinder Singh said, “Golu Yadav, the main accused in the gang rape case, has been arrested. A search is going on to trace the other accused involved in the crime. The death of the victim’s father is tragic”.
He added: “The accident took place when the medical examination of the victim was underway and the father stepped out for tea. After some time, we got to know that he met with an accident, hit by a truck. He was immediately taken to the nearest hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. We have filed an accident case and we are probing the matter”.
According to a relative of the victim, the 13-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by Golu Yadav and Deepu Yadav Monday evening. He said Deepu Yadav’s father works with the UP Police and is posted in Kannauj district.
The girl’s medical report is awaited.
The third accused, Saurabh, has been booked for allegedly threatening the family.
