The 16-year-old Dalit student was gang-raped by five unidentified men in a Krishnanagar mango orchard after her acquaintance fled following a beating; she was en route to visit a relative.
FIR filed under IPC gang rape and SC/ST Atrocities Act; special teams using CCTV and raids to arrest local suspects, with the victim receiving medical care.
Activists and opposition slam caste-based violence; protests demand swift justice and CM intervention amid rising Dalit atrocity cases in Uttar Pradesh.
16-Year-Old Dalit Student Raped by Five Men In Lucknow
Horrific assault in mango orchard sparks outrage over caste-based violence as police hunt for local suspects and victim's family demands swift justice
Summary
A 16-year-old Dalit Class 11 student was allegedly gang-raped by five unidentified men in a mango orchard on the outskirts of Lucknow on Saturday, police confirmed, igniting widespread condemnation and fears of caste-motivated brutality in Uttar Pradesh. The victim, who had left home around noon to visit a relative, was traveling on a motorcycle with a male acquaintance when the attack unfolded near a petrol pump in the Banthara police station limits.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Vikash Kumar Pandey, Krishnanagar, detailed to PTI that the pair had stopped in the orchard to talk when the assailants approached. "They beat up her acquaintance, who managed to flee, leaving the girl vulnerable. The five men then raped her and warned her against telling anyone before fleeing the scene." Traumatized, the survivor confided in a male relative, who promptly alerted authorities. She was rushed to a local hospital for medical examination and treatment, where her injuries were confirmed.
Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including gang rape, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, given the victim's Dalit background. Special teams have been deployed to scour the area, with officials suspecting the perpetrators are locals familiar with the terrain. "We are using CCTV footage from nearby pumps and conducting raids; arrests are imminent," ACP Pandey assured, emphasizing round-the-clock investigations.
The incident has drawn sharp criticism from activists and opposition leaders, who decry it as emblematic of persistent caste discrimination and inadequate safeguards for marginalized communities in the state. Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Azad condemned the assault as "a barbaric act of upper-caste dominance," calling for immediate intervention by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Protests erupted outside the Banthara station late Saturday, with demonstrators demanding protection for Dalit women and exemplary punishment for the accused.
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