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NEW DELHI (AFP) – A woman from India’s marginalized Dalit community died after being gang-raped, police said on Thursday (October 1), days after the “untouchable” teenage girl from the same group was killed. of a group. of high caste men sparked outrage.
The 22-year-old was allegedly raped by two men on Tuesday and died while being taken to hospital, police in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh said.
His death comes months after four men were hanged for the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student on a bus in New Delhi, in a case that came to symbolize the nation’s problems with sexual violence.
The victim’s mother told the NDTV news channel that her daughter had been taken home and thrown in front of the house after the attack.
“My son could barely stand up or speak,” she added.
Officers said two men had been arrested on charges of gang rape and murder, adding that the suspects could be tried in fast-track court, without elaborating.
The incident took place in the Balrampur district, some 500 kilometers from where another Dalit woman was allegedly gang-raped by four upper-caste men last month.
The 19-year-old victim in that case was paralyzed from her injuries and was rushed to a hospital in New Delhi 200 kilometers away, but died on Tuesday.
She had disappeared on the morning of September 14 and was brutally found hours later near her family’s farmland. Subsequently, four men were arrested on charges of gang rape and murder.
His death sparked protests in Delhi and around Uttar Pradesh.
Police imposed security measures on the victim’s village in Hatras district, a day after using force to disperse protesters who took to the streets after officers cremated his body without the permission of his family.
Hundreds of officers in riot gear patrolled the village and prevented people from gathering or rejoining the woman’s relatives.
LEADERS OF THE OPPOSITION ARRESTED
The leaders of the opposition Congress party, Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi, were briefly detained in Noida, outside New Delhi, as they marched towards the woman’s home.
Congress and other parties have criticized the Uttar Pradesh government for its failure to protect women, particularly those from the lower-caste Dalit community. The state has reported several violations in recent months.
Television footage showed Rahul Gandhi falling to the ground as policemen pushed his supporters before the two politicians were taken away in vehicles. They were later released.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party accused its rivals of politicizing the issue and promised that the culprits would be dealt with in accordance with the law.
India’s 200 million dalits have long faced discrimination, and activists say attacks have increased during the coronavirus pandemic.
Women across the country also continue to suffer alarming levels of sexual abuse.
An average of 87 rape cases were reported every day last year, according to data released Tuesday by the National Office for Criminal Records, but a large number are believed to go unreported.
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