UP: Gang-raped in Hathras, 19-year-old Dalit teen fights for life in ICU; four arrested

A 19-year-old Dalit woman who was allegedly gang-raped by four men in Hathras in Uttar Pradesh is struggling for her life in an Aligarh hospital where she has been put on a ventilator, officials said on Saturday.

Hathras Superintendent of Police Vikrant Vir said that the four accused named in the rape case, which took place on September 14, have been arrested. He said the teenager has been admitted to J N Medical College hospital in Aligarh where she has been put on a ventilator, the SP said.

Giving details of the incident, the SP said that the woman had gone to the fields with her mother on that fateful day and had gone missing soon after.

She was later found brutally injured, with her tongue having a serious cut as she bit it while the accused attempted to strangulate her, he said.

The SP said initially they came to know that Sandip (20) had tried to kill her following which he was arrested the same day.

Later in her statement to the magistrate, the victim said that besides Sandip, Ramu, Lavkush and Ravi had raped her and when she resisted their attempts, they tried to strangulate her, leading to the cut in the tongue, the official said.

Later, Luvkush and Ramu were also arrested and the fourth accused was arrested on Saturday, the SP added.

Meanwhile, a report from Aligarh said the condition of the girl was "critical".

The girl who was gang-raped on September 14 was brought to the Aligarh hospital the next day. She has injuries on the neck and is on the ventilator, a JN Medical Hospital spokesman said.

Hathras Additional Superintendent of Police Prakash Kumar told reporters that originally the accused were charged under section 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC but after receiving more inputs they were charged under section 376 D (gangrape).

He said that the legal process of trying the case under a fast track court has also been initiated.

Senior Congress leader Sheoraj Jiwan accused the Hathras police of gross negligence in the case and alleged that the woman was shifted to Aligarh only after her condition turned serious.

Jiwan, who met the woman's family members, alleged that the police tried to shield the accused. He demanded that the victim's family be urgently provided security and should be given a sum of Rs 20 lakh as financial assistance.