85-year-old woman dies after being ‘raped’ by villagers in Bareilly, accused arrested

Bareilly: An 85-year-old woman was allegedly raped and subsequently died in her house in Hafizganj on Monday. Police have arrested the 35-year-old accused, who lived in the same village as the victim, news agency PTI reported.

The accused, named Rakesh, is said to be an alcoholic and is being questioned by the police.

The victim was living alone after the death of her husband and son, said Superintendent of Police Anurag Arya. “The woman’s brother and sister-in-law live in the same area and her daughter-in-law lives with them,” Arya added.

When the daughter-in-law went to the victim’s house around 1 pm, she saw Rakesh raping her mother-in-law, the SSP said. The stunned daughter-in-law then raised an alarm, after which the accused fled from the house. After that, the family immediately informed the police.

Meanwhile, the old woman has died after the attack. Arya further stated that the police rushed to the scene and managed to arrest the accused.

According to a report in the Times of India, the accused has been charged under sections 333 (trespassing with intent to cause hurt) and 66 (rape causing death or sustained vegetative state) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.

The report also states that the accused entered the house and locked it from the inside before raping the victim. The family members then had to climb down from the roof to open the front door.

The report also quoted a local resident as saying that people from the area caught and mistreated Rakesh Kumar before handing him over to the police.

“He is a potter and is drunk most of the time,” said the resident.

Deputy SP Mukesh Chandra Mishra said, “SHO Hafizganj received a complaint that an 85-year-old woman was raped by a villager. As a result of the sexual assault, the woman died. The accused is being questioned. The body has been sent for autopsy and the report is awaited. People in the village are angry but the situation is under control.”