Unnao survivor confirms poisoning, denies sexual assault in statement: Police
Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday said that the 17-year-old Dalit girl who was found unconscious along with her two cousins in Unnao was poisoned, citing the victim's statement. She denied any sexual assault attempt, the police said. The two cousins, aged 13 and 16, were declared dead on arrival at a hospital after the three girls were found unconscious in a field last week.
The 17-year-old victim gave her statement to the executive magistrate on Monday, and the police and the chief judicial magistrate on Tuesday, Superintendent of Police (Unnao) Anand Kulkarni told The Indian Express. "When asked if the accused had sexually assaulted her or beat her up, she said no," the SP added. Her statement reportedly corroborates the findings of the investigators.
Kulkarni said, "She said that on February 17 when the incident happened, the two accused gave the three cousin sisters some snacks. When they refused to eat, he offered them water which the three drank." "She told us she fell unconscious soon after drinking water and does not remember anything after that. She has also named the second accused in her statement," Kulkarni added.
The incident took place in Unnao's Babuhara village. The three girls had gone to fetch fodder for their cattle last Wednesday. When they did not return, their relatives started searching and found them unconscious in the field. Last Friday, the police arrested 28-year-old Vinay, named by the victim. They have also detained a 15-year-old. Vinay has confessed to targeting the 17-year-old, the police said.
The police said Vinay decided to poison the eldest cousin after she allegedly rejected his advances. A lab report identified the poison as sulfosulfuron, a herbicide, Kulkarni told TIE. "This poison is almost odorless, which could be the reason why the girls did not realize they were drinking poison," Kulkarni said, adding that the water supply in the village is high on sulphur content.
