UP: Men Chase Deaf Woman on Bike, Gang-Rape Her
A Deaf woman in UP’s Balrampur was gang-raped after being lured onto a motorcycle, with both accused arrested within 24 hours.
A disturbing case from Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur district has shocked the nation after CCTV footage of a woman being chased by men on motorcycles went viral. The 22-year-old woman, who is Deaf and, according to some reports, also intellectually challenged, was returning home from her maternal uncle’s house around 8 pm. When she did not reach home by 9 pm, her family began searching and found her lying unconscious in a field with torn clothes.
Through sign language, she told her mother that two men on a motorcycle offered her a ride but instead took her to a secluded spot and raped her. She was taken to the district women’s hospital, where doctors confirmed the assault. Her brother filed a complaint, and police quickly traced the suspects — Ankur Verma and Harshit Pandey — using CCTV footage.
The two accused were caught within 24 hours while trying to flee towards Nepal. During a police encounter, Harshit was shot in the leg, while Ankur injured himself jumping from a height in an escape attempt. A country-made pistol, cartridges, and the motorcycle used in the crime were recovered. Both were taken to the hospital and later confessed.
The victim’s family has accused authorities of negligence, pointing out that CCTV cameras near the police post were not working and that the attack occurred close to the homes of senior officials. Opposition parties, including Congress, Samajwadi Party, and AAP, criticised the Yogi Adityanath government, raising concerns over women’s safety in the state. The investigation is ongoing.
