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A woman was allegedly raped and burnt alive in Etah while two teenagers were raped in Firozabad and Gonda districts of Uttar Pradesh. The state has been rocked by a series of brutal assaults on women in the last two days. With the fresh three incidents, a total of five cases of rape have been registered in the last two days.
A 35-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped and later set afire by three youths in Nidhauli area of Etah district in Uttar Pradesh. The woman, a widow, was allegedly raped and set on fire by three youths belonging to an influential family in Sabhapur village when she was alone in her house along with her two children, police said.
"Around 2.30 am five persons entered the house of Shishupal Yadav of which the woman identified three as Sunil Yadav, Suman Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav," Special Director General of Police Brij Lal told reporters in Lucknow. He said that as per the statement given by the dying woman only one Sunil raped her.
"When she raised an alarm the accused set her on fire. The woman, in her declaration, mentioned of being raped by only one person," Brij Lal said. He said senior officers were on the spot and post mortem procedure would be videographed.
The victim's brother Virseh said, "Five persons first tried to strangulate my sister and then raped her. Since my sister recognised them, they doused her with kerosene and set her ablaze. When she was nearly dead, they left the spot."
In Firozabad, a 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped by one Shanu, with whom the victim was involved in a relationship, and his aide Gatua, Superintendent of Police Manjila Saini said.
Shanu had been arrested after the girl's family members lodged a first information repot. Another case of rape and murder was reported in Gonda. Brij Lal said a 16-year-old Dalit girl was raped and killed in Karnilganj area in Gonda district. The body of Asha, who went missing on June 17, was recovered from a field in Kaitholi village late last evening, Superintendent of Police Durga Charan Mishra said.
He said that the victim's father had lodged an FIR against three persons Nanke, Mitahilal and Bahadur of which two have been arrested. This is the fifth rape case reported in the state in the last two days.
A dalit girl was stabbed in the eyes allegedly by two youths when she resisted a rape attempt in Kannauj on Saturday. In another incident, an 18-year-old dalit girl was allegedly raped by a youth in Ranipur Beladi village in Basti. Satti Singh allegedly raped the girl at gun point on Saturday night.
The rising number of rape cases has triggered protests by opposition parties in the state. The Congress has slammed the Mayawati government over the law and order situation in the state saying it had lost its moral right to continue after such incidents.
"Mayawati should be ashamed. People expected more from a woman chief minister but she doesn't have a word of sympathy," state Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi had said.
But an unfazed Mayawati government said there is no breakdown of law and order in the state and stern and prompt action was being taken against the culprits.