UP: Five convicted for raping mother-daughter on NH-91 nine years ago

Bulandshahr (UP), Dec 21 (PTI) A local court has convicted five men for the gang-rape of a woman and her minor daughter after assaulting and tying the male members of the family on National Highway-91 near Dostpur village here nine years back.

Additional district government counsel Varun Kaushik said the incident took place on the intervening night of July 29-30, 2016, when the family was travelling from Noida to Shahjahanpur to attend the mourning ritual of a relative.

When they reached near Dostpur village at around 1.30 am, their car was hit by a heavy object, forcing them to stop. As they stepped out to check, six men surrounded the family, threatened them at gunpoint and dragged them to a nearby field, Kaushik said.

The men were tied with ropes, while the woman and her 14-year-old daughter were gang-raped. When the men resisted, they were thrashed. The assailants fled after looting the family, Kaushik said.

The prosecution filed a chargesheet against six accused, one of whom died during the trial. Special Judge (POCSO Act) Om Prakash Verma convicted the remaining five on Saturday.

The court will pronounce the sentence on December 22, said Kaushik.

The incident occurred in the run-up to the 2017 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, prompting then-opposition BJP to stage state-wide protests to corner the Samajwadi Party government on law and order. PTI COR CDN ARI