Hindustan Times (Lucknow)

Seven held for armyman’s murder, gangrape of woman in Dhumanganj

- HT Correspond­ent allahabad.htdesk@hindustant­imes.com

POLICE SAID ALL ACCUSED WERE BETWEEN 19 AND 21 YEARS OF AGE AND HAD NO PAST CRIMINAL RECORD.

PRAYAGRAJ : District police have arrested seven youths in connection with the murder of an armyman, 38, and gangrape of the 20-year-old woman who was accompanyi­ng him in the car on the night of February 12 in Neemsarai area of Dhumanganj. Police said all accused were between 19 and 21 years of age and had no past criminal record.

Earlier, police had lodged an FIR against the woman on the complaint of army Havildar Ashutosh Kumar Singh’s father who had expressed suspicion of possible involvemen­t of the woman in the incident.

Later, investigat­ions revealed that Ashutosh Singh had an altercatio­n with the accused at the deserted spot which resulted in a clash between them, police officials said while addressing media persons on Tuesday.

SP (City) Dinesh Kumar Singh said police received informatio­n of gang rape on Dial 112 in the night on February 12. Policemen reached the spot and took Ashutosh to the hospital with the help of his kin who had also reached there after being informed by the woman accompanyi­ng him. However, Ashutosh was declared brought dead on arrival.

The woman with Ashutosh denied being gangraped and refused to undergo medical examinatio­n and claimed that Ashutosh was attacked by some unidentifi­ed persons over a trivial issue.

She was admitted to the hospital after which she tested positive for Covid-19 which hampered the investigat­ions.

However, police teams constitute­d for cracking the case took help of CCTV cameras at nearby STP plant and used decoys for identifyin­g culprits. On Tuesday seven persons were arrested who were identified as Chhotu aka Akash Bhartiya, Kuldeep Bhartiya, Bablu Bhartiya, Guddu Bhartiya, Vikas Bhartiya, Suttan aka Suraj and Ajay Bhartiya, all residents of Bhagalpurw­a area of Dhumanganj.

Interrogat­ion revealed that Chhotu and Kuldeep were searching for their lost pigs when they spotted Ashutosh’s car at a deserted spot.

They had an argument with Ashutosh when they reached near the car and passed some comments. The duo then called their other accomplice­s to the spot and assaulted Ashutosh with bricks lying nearby resulting in five serious injuries to him on the head. The accused then put injured Ashutosh on the back seat of his car and dragged the woman at a plot close to the site where they gangraped her, SP City added.

charged for gangrape of the woman. She will be persuaded for medical examinatio­n besides recording her statement, once she is discharged, SP City said.

An FIR has been lodged against the accused under sections 302/120B/376D of IPC. On the basis of confession of the accused, they have been charged for gangrape of the woman. She will be persuaded for medical examinatio­n besides recording her statement, once she is discharged, SP City said.

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