A 27-year-old rape victim in Madhya Pradesh was beaten up and two fingers of her right hand were chopped off allegedly by the accused released on bail last month. The accused, identified as 45-year-old Kunwar Lal, was arrested again on Monday. Two of his accomplices - Mahendra Yadav and Bhagwan Yadav - are absconding.
In her complaint, the woman told police that Kunwar chopped her fingers when she refused to withdraw the case. She also alleged that local police were protecting Kunwar. She had also complained over Kunwar's harassment, but police did not act.
"Kunwar and his accomplices would not have dared to attack me if police acted on my complaint," the woman was quoted as saying by the New Indian Express.
Police did not comment on the allegations of dereliction of duty levelled against them. They, however, confirmed that Kunwar started demanding that the victim and her family enter into a compromise in a bid to put an end to his criminal prosecution. He had also threatened them with dire consequences, a police officer said.
"The accused was arrested after the 27-year-old rape victim approached Superintendent of Police Nimish Agrawal and showed him that two fingers of her right hand fingers were chopped by her rapist," an inspector was quoted as saying.
Kunwar had allegedly raped the woman in October 2014 and the trial in the case is on. A local court had granted bail to Kunwar last month.
