Woman resisted rape before being murdered by guard: UP police

Uttar Pradesh Police on Sunday arrested a guard of a private security firm in connection with the murder of a 35-year-old woman in Mohanlalganj area of the city, and said that the autopsy findings indicated attempt to rape.

Two policemen have been suspended for dereliction of duty and action would be taken against all those officials found guilty of allegedly circulating pictures of the woman’s nude and blood-stained body on social networking websites, Additional Director General Sutapa Sanyal said.

The accused Ram Sewak, 38, a security guard, who was deployed at an under-construction apartment site, was arrested on Sunday morning for the brutal murder and attempt to rape of the woman, a mother of two, whose body was found inside a primary school in Balsingh Kera area of Mohanlalganj tehsil in Lucknow on July 17, Sanyal said.

According to the forensic report, “no sexual intercourse took place,” she said, adding that the victim had resisted an attempt to rape after the accused hit her multiple times using his helmet and caused injuries to her private parts.

“During interrogation, Ram Sewak revealed that the woman was living near the under-construction apartment and was searching for a flat here, during which she came in contact with him,” Sanyal said.

The accused had stolen a mobile phone and called the woman on the night of July 16 impersonating as Rajeev, the ADG said. After analyzing the victim’s mobile number it was revealed that she had left her house that night after receiving a call from him.

“On July 16 night the accused, impersonating as Rajeev, took the victim to Balsingh Khera on his bike and attempted to rape her,” Sanyal said.

She said when the woman resisted his rape attempt, Ram Sewak hit her multiple times using his helmet and caused injuries to her private parts. When the woman began bleeding excessively, the accused fled from the spot. 

According to the forensic report, “no sexual intercourse took place,” Sanyal said, adding that three to four-day-old nail scratches were found on the victim’s body.

She said investigations also revealed that the crime was committed by a single person and there was no gang rape as suspected earlier.

“There were reports that the accused is a history-sheeter and this is being verified,” the ADG said.

The incident came to light on July 17 when the nude body of the woman was spotted in a primary school in Balsingh Khera village of Mohanlalganj by a watchman, who informed the police.

The area where the body was recovered is in the vicinity of Jabrauli village, where tight security arrangements had been made in view of former United State President Bill Clinton’s visit.

Taking a strong view of the heinous murder and attempt to rape of a woman, UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday took stock of the investigations and had directed officials to solve the case at the earliest.

The CM said that the state government was very serious about getting to the bottom of this “tragic and unfortunate” incident and bringing the culprits to book, an official spokesman had said.

Akhilesh has also announced financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh besides taking up educational expenditure of the two children of the deceased, the spokesman said.