Uttar Pradesh has evidently turned into a place synonymous with crime against women, with another case of gangrape coming to light from Kannauj district.
The incident was reported on the same day, when the National Crime Bureau revealed that rape cases in UP's Muzaffarnagar district had risen by 157 percent.
Adding to a string of rape incidences reported from Uttar Pradesh in the past few months, a 33-year-old woman was allegedly gangraped by three men including a schoolteacher on the night of 16 August in Kannuaj district.
The accused allegedly tied the woman naked to a tree after committing the crime and fled the scene.
Umarda police officer Imran Khan said that one of the accused has been arrested, and it was found that the schoolteacher was the village head's son. The victim, who was admitted to a hospital is said to be in stable condition now, according to IBNLive.
While the latest rape incident took place in Samajwadi Party leader and UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple's contituency, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data revealed an increase in rape cases in Muzaffarnagar, which is BJP member Sanjeev Balyan's constituency.
According to NCRB data, rape cases have increased by 157 percent in 2013 with 49 cases reported in the city. The record suggests that the city witnessed 19 cases in 2011 and 29 in 2012, which rapidly increased to 49 in 2013.
The incidents are said to have increased after the September 2013 riots, which was reportedly triggered following the alleged eve-teasing of a Hindu girl by Muslim youths.
However, the Superintendent of Police Alok Priyadarshi said that the rise in cases is because the police are registering more rape cases in the city following Supreme Court's guidelines.
"The fact is that more and more cases are now being registered by the police," Times of India quoted Priyadarshi.
He added that many fake cases are also being registered to "resolve family conflicts, longstanding rivalries or affairs gone wrong."
Insecure daily commuters
Working women, who travel by public transport, have reportedly complained of sexual harassment on a daily basis while travelling late from work. They feel unsafe travelling at late hours due to less number of policemen on duty.
"Being stared at or touched inappropriately while travelling is a routine affair. When approached, the cops discourage us from registering a case saying we have to keep going to the police station and court for a long time," a daily rail commuter Sapna Tomar said.
