A 22-year-old Dalit woman from Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, was found dead in a canal near her village after being missing for a few days. Her family believes she was murdered, and the case has attracted a lot of attention. They are also accusing the police of not acting quickly enough to find her. The situation has led to political discussions and concerns about the handling of the case.
What happened?
On February 3, 2025, the body of a 22-year-old Dalit woman was found in a small canal, about 500 meters from her village in Ayodhya. She had been missing since Thursday night, February 1. Her family had reported her missing to the police, but they believe the police didn’t act quickly enough to search for her.
Her brother-in-law found her body on Saturday morning. The family said her body was in a very shocking state. "They said her eyes were missing, and the body bore deep wounds and fractures.". Her arms and legs were tied with ropes, and she had many deep cuts. Villagers who helped move her body noticed a broken leg. The woman’s elder sister and two other women fainted when they saw her badly hurt body.
The police had registered the missing report earlier and are now investigating. Circle Officer Ashutosh Tiwari said that the post-mortem report will provide more information about how she died and guide their next steps. He added, "Once we receive the post-mortem findings, we will proceed accordingly."
Family’s allegations against the police
The woman's family has blamed the police for not taking the case seriously and not searching for her quickly enough. They think that if the police had acted faster, the woman might still be alive. After the body was found, a large crowd gathered at the scene, and the local community demanded quick justice. The woman's death has caused anger and concern among the villagers and political leaders.
Political leaders react to the case
The death of the Dalit woman has turned into a political issue, with the Opposition criticising the Uttar Pradesh government for its handling of the case. The incident occurred just days before a by-election in Milkipur, a Dalit-majority constituency in Ayodhya.
Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Awadhesh Prasad, who won the Milkipur seat in 2022, broke down while addressing a press conference. He said, "I failed to save her… Let me go to Delhi, to the Lok Sabha. I will raise this matter before PM Narendra Modi. If we don’t get justice, I will resign."
Prasad, who had vacated the Milkipur seat after becoming an MP, also criticised the BJP government, questioning how such a crime could take place in Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram. He said, “What will history say? How did this happen to the girl?” He added that this incident showed the failure of the current government to protect vulnerable communities.
On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath responded by accusing Prasad of "drama" and referring to another sexual assault case involving a Dalit girl in Ayodhya, where a local SP leader was involved. “Remember the incident that happened with the Dalit daughter in Ayodhya. When the investigation goes to the bottom in this, the involvement of some beast or other of the Samajwadi Party will surely be known,” he said.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief and former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav condemned the murder, stating that atrocities against Dalits under the BJP government were increasing. He claimed that the BJP was responsible for these injustices, which were affecting Dalit communities and minorities.
Congress leaders also voiced their concerns. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, posted on X, saying, "The inhumanity and brutal murder of a Dalit girl in Ayodhya is heartbreaking and very shameful. If the administration had paid heed to the cry for help of the girl’s family that had been echoing for three days, perhaps her life could have been saved."
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi also condemned the crime, stating, “The kind of barbarism that was done to a Dalit girl… will send chills down the spine of any human being. The girl was missing for three days, but the police did nothing.” She criticised the Uttar Pradesh government for its failure to protect Dalits, tribals, and backward classes, calling it a "Jungle Raj."
The investigation and post-mortem findings
The police have launched a full investigation into the case. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Raj Karan Nayyer stated that they have gathered "strong clues and evidence" and detained several suspects for questioning. According to the police, the autopsy report revealed that the woman’s death was caused by shock and haemorrhage due to injuries sustained before her death. The body showed a head injury caused by a blunt object, and forensic tests have been conducted to check for possible sexual assault.
“The primary investigation substantiates that the woman was murdered somewhere else and the body was dumped near a canal. The autopsy report states that post-mortem injuries on the body were due to the body being thrown at some other place,” said the SSP.
However, police have denied the family’s claim that the woman’s eyes were gouged out, stating that this was not true.
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