Three held after molestation clip goes viral

KANPUR: Three men were arrested on Friday for allegedly abducting and raping a woman in Unnao a few days ago, police said.

A hunt has been launched for four others involved in the crime, they added.

The matter came to the police’s attention after a six-day-old video of the incident went viral on the social media. The arrested people were identified only as Rahul, Vimal and Akash. Upon being told that they would record the incident and post it on the social media, the victim was heard responding: “Bhaiya, aisa mat karo (Brother, don’t do this)”.

Unnao superintendent of police (SP) Harish Kumar said, “The arrested men are being questioned for information on the whereabouts of their accomplices. He added that an FIR had been lodged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Information Technology Act.

The suspects still at large were identified as Pavan, Ritik, Rahul and Vipin. Following the arrests, the victim in her mid-30s came forward and alleged she was gang-raped in the orchard.

“I kept pleading them to let me go but they did not relent and raped me one by one,” she told media persons at her house on Friday.

“They were more than four. I will identify them if I ever come across them,” she said.

The victim is a worker and lives alone in a thatched house near Sahjani after her husband passed away two years ago.

She said she was not well on the day of the incident. “I was going to buy medicines. Down with fatigue, I sat under a tree to take some rest. Two people reached there and asked what I was doing alone. More men came there and started harassing me,” she said.

“They overpowered me and forced me to take the pillion of a motorcycle. I sat sandwiched between two men. The other motorcycle followed to the orchard,” the victim added.

WOMAN ALLEGED THAT A GANG OF MEN TOOK HER TO AN ORCHARD WHERE THEY GANGRAPED HER

She alleged three people harassed her while the others shot the act on a cell phone. “They gang-raped me and left me there. I did not speak all this while because I feared for my life,” she said. “Harassing a woman and filming the incident on a cell phone with the intention of posting it on the social media is a serious crime. No one will be spared,” the SP said.