CCTV clip shows the woman, apparently barefoot, running on a poorly lit empty road while the men follow her on bikes.
A mentally challenged and deaf-mute woman was allegedly gang-raped after being chased by men on motorcycles along a lonely road in Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur district. Police said the crime was caught on CCTV, which helped them identify two suspects. The accused, Ankur Verma and Harshit Pandey, were arrested after a brief police encounter. During initial questioning, both admitted to the crime, Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar said.
The disturbing 16-second CCTV clip shows the woman, apparently barefoot, running on a poorly lit empty road while the men follow her on bikes. The case came to light when the 21-year-old woman’s brother filed a complaint at the Kotwali Dehat police station two days ago, saying his sister had been raped. Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar said that an FIR was filed on Monday, and the investigation began immediately.
Police inspected the road the woman had taken and checked CCTV footage, which led them to identify the suspects, Ankur Verma and Harshit Pandey. They were caught after a brief police encounter and, during initial questioning, confessed to the crime.
According to the complaint, the woman was returning home from her maternal uncle’s house when a group of men forced her onto a motorcycle. They allegedly took her to a secluded place nearby and raped her.
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Vishal Pandey said that a man on a motorcycle stopped the woman, forced her to ride with him, and took her to a lonely spot where the assault happened. However, the woman’s family claimed that she was gang-raped.
CCTV footage from a camera outside the superintendent of police’s house shows the woman running and looking back in fear, with several unidentified men chasing her on three to four motorcycles.
When she did not return home, her family began searching for her. They eventually found her lying unconscious in bushes near a police post, with her clothes in disarray.
Additional SP Vishal Pandey said the crime scene was quickly examined, and the victim was sent for a medical check-up. Police also gathered evidence and reviewed CCTV footage in detail to speed up the investigation.
According to a report in Hindustan Times, the attack took place near the residences of top officials, including the district magistrate, superintendent of police, and judges, raising serious concerns about security in the area.
The woman is currently receiving medical treatment, and legal action in the case is ongoing.
