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A missing bottle cap, phone call records: How a UP rape victim’s ‘suicide’ was cracked open
On February 28, the woman from Fatehpur district filed a complaint against a local youth for allegedly raping her on pretext on marriage. She was found dead in a field on the day she was to record her statement.
Chandauli police arrested 35-year-old Khushboo Kinnar for allegedly extorting the family of a man accused of planting a bomb at her home last year. The case has now been transferred to Jaunpur for further investigation. (File)
On February 28, a 20-year-old woman filed a complaint against a neighbourhood youth for allegedly raping her on pretext on marriage. Dayws later, on March 2, she was found dead in a field in Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur.
Initially, police said the victim’s family claimed she was distressed over the rape case and died by suicide after consuming poison. When police inspected the spot, they found certain items that made them suspicious — a plastic water bottle without a cap and traces of celphos (a pesticide).
“We did not find the bottle cap at the spot, which raised suspicion,” said Circle Officer Braj Mohan Rai. “We asked the victim’s mother to lodge a complaint regarding her daughter’s death, but she refused.”
Eventually, after sustained questioning and evidence gathered during the probe, police found that it was the victim’s mother and brother who killed her.
Police said the family claimed the woman’s alleged relationship with the youth had brought them “social disgrace”. “The mother and brother of the rape victim have been arrested and they have admitted to the crime,” said Fatehpur Circle Officer Braj Mohan Rai.
How the crime unravelled
According to police, the woman’s body was discovered on the same day she was scheduled to appear before a magistrate to record her statement in the rape case. Police said they had lodged an FIR in that case against the youth, Sunil.
After her family declined to file a complaint, police registered a case based on a written complaint submitted by the village chowkidar on charges of murder and destruction of evidence.
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As part of the investigation, police said they analysed call detail records (CDR) of the victim’s mother and brother. They found that on the night of the incident, the mother made several calls to her son.
Police said they then tracked location data of the mother’s phone: it placed her at the field — the crime scene. She then headed towards the main city area before going to the police station. She also led police to the body lying in the field.
Suspecting their involvement, police said they detained the victim’s mother and brother for questioning — and they admitted to the crime.
Police said the accused claimed they decided to eliminate the woman after she lodged the rape complaint because everyone now knew she was in a relationship with Sunil. This, they claimed, brought a “bad reputation” to the family within the community.
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According to police, the accused claimed that in the early hours of March 2, they took the victim to the field. They had already bought celphos from a local market earlier.
Police said the brother held the woman by her legs to restrain her while their mother forced her to drink water mixed with poison, which led to her death. They then left the body in the field to make it seem like a case of suicide and escaped, police said.
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