Barbaric: Relatives of rape accused slash victim’s tongue

ALLAHABAD: In a barbaric act, three relatives of a rape accused on Thursday slashed the teenage victim’s tongue and stabbed her repeatedly in Pratapgarh district in order to prevent her from giving her statement in court.

The girl has been admitted to Pratapgarh district hospital where her condition is serious.

A case against the attackers Lalji, Indal and a third man has been lodged at Jethwara police station in the district.

The victim was raped on the night of January 22, 2013. Police had lodged a case against one Lavlesh of Hariharpur under Baghrai police station and three others. Lavlesh is in Pratapgarh jail since then.

The girl’s father has already appeared as witness in the case. The girl was to appear in the court on July 24.

S ources said t he rape accused’s brother Lalji had been trying all tricks to stop the girl from appearing in the court as witness. However, the girl and her family were determined to fight out the case. The miscreants then decided to attack the girl to scare the family.

Late Wednesday night they lay in wait for the girl and pounced on her after she went out of the house to answer nature’s call. They then dragged her to some distance and slashed her tongue with a knife and stabbed her several times. The victim’s younger sister later found bleeding profusely and informed her family.

In Lucknow, IG (law and order) RK Vishwakarma said one attacker Indal has been arrested and efforts were on to nab the others.