Balrampur: Anger grows after yet another gang rape death in India

The death of a second Dalit woman just days after an alleged gang rape has shocked and infuriated India.

The 22-year-old was dragged into a vehicle after applying to a local school and was raped, her mother told the BBC.

The news follows the death of another 19-year-old Dalit woman on Tuesday after an alleged gang rape by upper-caste men.

Dalits are at the bottom of the caste system. Despite the laws that protect them, they face widespread discrimination.

Both attacks took place in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. The news of the former sparked protests on the streets of the state.

The police registered reports of rape and murder and arrested two men in connection with the latest case, which took place in the district of Balrampur.

The latest incident occurred about 500 kilometers (310 miles) from Hathras district, where the previous attack occurred.

The first victim was seriously injured and died in a Delhi hospital on Tuesday after fighting for his life for two weeks.

The second victim also died on Tuesday, but national media picked up the news on Thursday, after a strong reaction on social media to sexual assault and caste violence in India.

Dalits, formerly known as untouchables, have suffered public shame and attack for generations at the hands of higher caste Hindus.

The victim’s mother told the BBC that the family began to panic when she did not arrive home at her usual time on Tuesday night.

He said his daughter had gone to a nearby school to apply for admission on Tuesday morning. When she was returning home, a group of three or four men stopped her and forced her into their vehicle.

The mother alleges that they drugged her before raping her. “They broke my daughter’s leg, broke her waist,” he said, adding that the men put her on a rickshaw afterward and sent her home.

“When he arrived, he looked very weak. Our daughter could not speak or get up. When we asked him what had happened, he could not answer,” he added.

Ten minutes later, the victim complained of a “burning sensation” in her stomach, prompting the family to take her to a local hospital.

“But since her condition was very serious, the doctor asked us to take her to a larger hospital in the city, but she died on the way,” added the mother.

“While officials are not confirming whether the victim was raped, they have not denied the family’s accusation,” said local journalist Saurabh Mishra.

The news has sparked furious reactions on social media. The former prime minister of the state, who is now in the opposition, lashed out at the ruling government of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“After Hathras, another daughter has been gang-raped and abused in Balrampur,” Akhilesh Yadav tweeted, adding that the government should act quickly in this incident.

On Twitter, the case has been among the main trends of discussion with thousands of tweets from political and Indian leaders denouncing the attack.

The above incident also continues to dominate social media and the news. Officials have also imposed Section 144 on the district, meaning no more than four people will be able to gather, a measure often used to contain protests.

On Thursday, Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi, leaders of the opposition Congress Party, entered Hathras to meet with the victim’s family after officials stopped the leaders’ vehicle.

Surprising images and videos have also emerged showing hundreds of workers from the Samajwadi Party, a regional party that is in opposition in the state, being arrested and detained by police in the area.

However, a senior district administration official denied the allegation and said the family’s consent was taken.

Rape and sexual violence have been in the spotlight in India since the gang rape and murder of a woman in 2012 in Delhi, prompting large protests and changes to the country’s rape laws.

But there have been no signs that crimes against women and girls are decreasing.