A shocking case of rape has surfaced in the Jaunpur region of Uttar Pradesh where a married Dalit woman was drugged and sexually violated by autorickshaw driver Sajjad, also known as Sabir. He also held her hostage for five days. The incident transpired on 19th March. The police registered a case against the accused and arrested him on 3rd April.
The matter pertained to the Rampur police station area of Jaunpur in Sureri where the woman filed a police complaint. Her husband stays in Mumbai for work. Her brother-in-law and his wife who live in Pune visited the village for a few days and were scheduled to return on 19th March. The couple had to reach Varanasi Junction to board the train. The victim contacted Sajjad who has an autorickshaw to take her family members to the railway station, which is around sixty kilometres away, and he agreed.
The two families already knew each other. The woman’s family had even helped the culprit many times in the past. She also sat in the vehicle to drop them off at Varanasi. After dropping the woman’s relatives at the railway station, when Sajjad was returning along with the woman, he reportedly stopped the auto in the Babatpur region under the pretence of having tea. However, he served her tea which was drugged and she felt dizzy and then fainted after a while. The victim regained consciousness and discovered that Sajjad was standing in front of her in a room.
She started to shout at him loudly but he threatened to kill her child and sexually assaulted her. The victim charged that she was his captive for five long days during which she was raped multiple times. Meanwhile, her son informed his father about the disappearance after she didn’t reach home. The husband also told his brother about the same. On 23rd March, the family came to their hamlet.
Her family members suspected that something awful had happened and submitted a missing person report at the Jaunpur police station. Sajjad had an inkling about the development and let the woman go out of fear on 24th March. She rushed to her place and narrated the entire ordeal to her family. They demanded strict action against the offender. The police were in a situation of uncertainty for some time about the crime and the jurisdiction of the police station.
About 15 days after the occurrence, the Sureri police station eventually filed a First Information Report and apprehended Sajjad. He has been charged under the Indian Penal Code’s sections 376, 323, 328, 343 and 506. The medical examination of the woman is underway and further action will be taken according to the legal process.
