A 16-year-old Dalit girl, who had allegedly been raped in Pratapgarh, died of injuries during treatment at a hospital, police said on Friday. Additional Superintendent of Police West Sanjay Rai said that the incident happened last Sunday when the girl was held hostage and assaulted.
She was then allegedly tied to a tree with her hands and mouth before being flung into a millet field, according to accounts by police. She was subsequently admitted to SRN Hospital in Prayagraj, where she succumbed the previous evening.
A case had been registered by the police against the accused, identified as Anil Gupta, under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the SC-ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, following a complaint filed by the mother of the victim.
The suspect, who is 22 years old, was taken into custody on Monday after a confrontation with the police. Cops have now added murder charges to the investigation.
Police officials said after conducting the post-mortem, the body of the victim was handed over to her family.
