A violent protest broke out in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, after the suspicious death of a 21-year-old Dalit woman, who worked at a private hospital in the city. The woman’s family has alleged that she was raped and murdered by the hospital staff, sparking major unrest and protests from locals.
According to reports, villagers vandalized the hospital in anger, and when the police arrived to control the situation, they were met with stone-pelting. As a result, twelve police officers, including the Circle Officer (CO), were injured. In response, the police resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the crowd. A heavy police presence has since been deployed outside the hospital to maintain order.
The woman, a resident of Bhadharganj, had been working at the hospital for over four years. Her mother, who is disabled, was informed by hospital staff at 8:30 PM on Thursday, March 27, about her daughter’s death. However, she claims she was not allowed to see the body.
The family further alleged that the hospital staff attempted to drop off the body at their home, but villagers noticed signs of foul play. They observed that the woman’s clothes were missing and there were injury marks on her body. The family has accused six hospital employees, including doctors, of rape and murder. They have demanded strict action against the suspects.
The anger over the situation led to a protest on Friday, March 28, where around 250 villagers gathered outside the hospital. The protestors ransacked the hospital property, and when police tried to intervene, they were attacked with stones. As a result, several officers, including Raniganj CO Vinay Prabhakar Sahni, were injured in the clash.
SP MLA RK Verma also joined the calls for justice, urging authorities to take strong action against the accused. “We demand justice for the victim and strict punishment for those responsible for this heinous crime,” he said.
Authorities have assured the victim’s family that a medical panel will conduct a videographed postmortem to gather further evidence. The police have detained several suspects, and the investigation is currently underway.
