Lucknow: A 20-year-old woman was hacked to death in Uttar Pradesh’s Kaushambi district Monday, allegedly over her refusal to withdraw a rape complaint.
Ashok Nishad, his brother Pawan — the man accused of raping her — and their two brothers Prabhu and Lokchandra have been named in a First Information Feport (FIR) lodged on charges of murder, intentional insult and breach of peace. All are absconding.
The woman was attacked with an axe in Kaushambi district’s Dherha village around 5 pm while she was returning home with her sister-in-law, according to the police.
The sister-in-law wrote in her complaint that Ashok and his brothers insulted her on the road, as she had refused to withdraw the complaint of rape. She added that the woman was attacked when she stood up to the verbal abuse.
A police officer told ThePrint that the brothers confronted the victim after they learnt that she had approached the police over the threats. He said Ashok was a murder accused in a 2017 case and was also out on bail.
Last year, the victim had accused Pawan of rape, following which he was booked and jailed in May 2022. Pawan got out on bail last month, the police said.
After his release, Pawan and his family stepped up pressure on the girl to withdraw her case, her family alleged.
Kaushambi Superintendent of Police Brijesh Kumar told reporters that a fight broke out between the two sides “over an old case and dispute”.
“Following this, one of the accused attacked the woman with a sharp-edged weapon which resulted in her death. An FIR has been lodged under suitable sections. Strict action will be taken against the accused,” Kumar said.
Another officer said she collapsed on the spot from the multiple blows, and died on the road.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
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