Two men accused of raping a woman, broke into her home in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district on Monday night and opened indiscriminate fire, killing the woman’s mother and injuring three other family members, police officials said.
One of the accused then died by committing suicide, the police said.
The attack took place less than two months after the two accused were released on bail in the rape case.
The woman’s family said they had approached police last week, alleging death threats from the accused duo.
The victim said the police took no action on their complaint.
According to the police, the accused entered the 20-year-old woman’s house carrying .312 and .315 bore country-made rifles and sharp-edged weapons, along with a third aide.
One of the men started firing inside the room in which the woman and six of her family members were sleeping, killing her mother and injuring her father and two sisters, according to the police.
“An FIR was registered on the complaint of the victim’s family with the Fatehpur Chaurasi police. The FIR says the attack was pre-meditated. The police have begun an investigation into the case. Those on the run will soon be arrested,” Inspector General of Police (Lucknow range) Prashant Kumar said.
The woman’s father and 24-year-old sister have been shifted to LLR Hospital in Kanpur for treatment, and their condition is reportedly stable. Her 12-year-old sister is undergoing treatment at a local health facility, the police said.
The police official said one of the attackers killed himself near the woman’s house.
They said that a video was recovered from the deceased accused’s mobile, in which he purportedly said he was going to kill the complainant and her family because he was falsely implicated in the rape case.
The other two attackers are absconding.
The gang rape accused were arrested in August last year after the woman filed a complaint. They walked out of jail on May 10 after getting bail.
The rape complainant, who survived Monday’s attack, said her father approached the Fatehpur Chaurasi police on July 3, suspecting a possible attack from the rape accused.
She added that the police did not provide them with any security or take action against the accused.
Inspector General of Police Kumar admitted to a “serious lapse” on the part of the police and said that the erring officers will be held accountable.
Safipur Circle Officer Maya Rai will inquire into the incident and submit a report at the earliest, sources said.
