A 19-year-old woman was brutally murdered in broad daylight in Kaushambi district, Uttar Pradesh by two brothers, one of whom was the man accused of raping her, according to the police. The killers, Ashok and Pawan Nishad, had recently been released on bail before committing the heinous crime. The victim had accused Pawan Nishad of raping her three years ago when she was a minor and had been facing harassment from him and his associates ever since, in an attempt to coerce her into dropping the case against him.
Ashok Nishad, Pawan’s brother, was released from custody just two days before the young woman’s murder and was involved in a separate murder case. The two brothers conspired to confront the victim’s family and force them to withdraw the case. However, the courageous woman refused to back down, leading to her ambush and slaughter by the brothers as she returned from tending to her family’s cattle in a nearby field.
Both Pawan and Ashok Nishad are currently on the run. Kaushambi Superintendent of Police, Brijesh Srivastava, stated that the murder was the result of an ongoing dispute and rivalry between two parties within the same community. The police have launched a manhunt to capture the accused individuals.
The incident occurred in Dherha village, and the police have sent the victim’s body for a post-mortem examination. The opposition party criticized the lawlessness in Uttar Pradesh, stating that the region’s criminals have no fear of the law and that the safety of women is at great risk.
This horrific incident once again highlights the UP government’s failure to prevent crimes against women. It comes just two months after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath warned that “Yamraj,” the Hindu god of death, would seek retribution against anyone who harassed or harmed women. The chief minister’s statement was made following the death of a teenager in Ambedkar Nagar district, where she was killed after being pulled off her bicycle by two men on a motorcycle.
According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau, Uttar Pradesh recorded over 56,000 cases of crimes against women in 2021, the highest number among all states. These crimes include rape, rape and murder, and acid attacks.
