UP: 7-year-old raped and killed; opposition parties slam govt
(Sourced from PTI)
A seven-year-old girl attending a wedding ceremony was allegedly raped and strangulated to death in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday by a man hired to set up tents on the occasion, police said. Enraged over the incident, the victim's family blocked the Etah-Farrukhabad road in the state while opposition parties slammed the ruling BJP government for the "sudden spurt" in rape cases.
The incident comes at a time when the Adityanath government is fighting public anger over the rape of a teenager allegedly by the ruling BJP MLA in Unnao district of the state. According to police, the incident took place at around 1.30 am near Mandi Samiti gate on the Aliganj road where the girl had gone with her family to attend a wedding.
Sonu Jatav (19), who was given the task of putting up tents for the marriage ceremony lured the girl, raped her and subsequently killed her, Superintendent of Police Akhilesh Chaurasia said and added that the man was in an inebriated state.
"After this, the accused fled the spot. The body of the girl was found in an under-construction house in the vicinity of the marriage venue. A rope was found tied around the neck of the girl," the SP said. The girl was rushed to the district hospital where she was declared brought dead. The body of the girl has been sent for post-mortem examination.
"On the basis of complaints filed by family members, police have arrested Sonu Jatav," SP Chaurasia said. The SP also said, "A case has been registered against the accused for rape and murder of the girl. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) has also been slapped on the accused since the victim is a minor."
Angry family members of the minor girl blocked the Etah-Farrukhabad road demanding Rs. 10 lakh as compensation. Slamming the ruling BJP, opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) spokesperson and MLC Sunil Singh Sajan said, "I simply fail to understand why the law and order in the state has deteriorated so much after the BJP has come to power in UP."
The SP spokesperson said that on one hand, the UP government claims that encounters are going on and on the other, the crime ratio has surged in the state. BJP had claimed that as soon as they come to power, the law and order of UP will improve. "But, I feel that even the minor girls are not all safe here," he said.
The Congress too attacked BJP government on the incident. UP Congress spokesperson Ashok Singh said, "It's an irony that criminal elements are roaming freely, and UP has become virtually the number one state in the country going by the spurt of rapes and other crimes. Congress will soon launch a mass movement across the state to highlight the surge in crime in the state."
BJP, however, said the party does not believe in saving criminal elements. "Unlike the past state governments which used to shield criminal elements, the BJP believes in ensuring that swift action is initiated. The police in UP are working without any dabaav (pressure) and prabhaav (influence). FIRs which were not registered in the previous state governments' regime are now being immediately registered," BJP said.
