MEERUT: A 21-year-old Dalit woman, allegedly raped by an upper-caste man in August 2023, was forced to “settle” the matter in a village panchayat and was paid Rs 2.5 lakh to remain silent.
However, her ordeal did not end there. In an attempt to escape harassment and social stigma, her family relocated and arranged her marriage in a distant town. But when the accused learned of the wedding, he sent a video of the sexual assault to her fiancé, leading to the cancellation of the marriage.
Accused’s Family Demands Money Back, Survivor’s Mother Assaulted
The situation worsened when the accused’s family demanded the money back. Unable to bear the escalating pressure and threats, the survivor’s father finally approached Hapur SP Kunwar Gyananjay Singh, leading to an FIR being filed on Thursday—nearly two years after the crime.
“After my daughter was assaulted, a panchayat forced us to settle for Rs 2.5 lakh. We left the village and arranged her marriage elsewhere, but the accused sent an obscene video to her fiancé, who then called off the wedding. What are we supposed to do now?” the father said.
The survivor’s mother also faced violence when the accused’s family stormed their home demanding the money back. “They misbehaved with us. When my wife resisted, they assaulted her and tore her clothes,” the father told the police.
FIR Registered; Police Promise Action
Hafizpur SHO Ashish Kumar confirmed that the initial incident had not been reported to the authorities earlier. “Now that we have received a written complaint, an FIR has been registered under IPC sections 376 (rape), 354 (assault or criminal force), and 506 (criminal intimidation) against five men,” he said.
“Teams have been formed to investigate the matter, and arrests will be made soon,” Kumar added.
