A 21-year-old Dalit woman from Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, who was allegedly raped by an upper-caste man in August 2023, was forced to settle the matter at a local panchayat for ₹2.5 lakh and remain silent.
Her family, seeking safety from harassment, moved to a new location and arranged her marriage far from the village. However, the accused reportedly sent a video of the sexual assault to her fiancé, leading to the wedding being called off.
“When my daughter was violated, the panchayat forced us to settle the matter for ₹2.5 lakh. We left the village, but the accused sent an obscene video to her fiancé. What are we to do now?” the survivor’s father told The Times of India.
The situation worsened when the accused’s family demanded the money back and allegedly assaulted the survivor’s mother. “When my wife opposed them, they tore her clothes,” the father told the police.
After enduring threats and pressure, the survivor’s father approached Hapur SP Kunwar Gyananjay Singh, leading to the registration of an FIR nearly two years after the crime.
Hafizpur SHO Ashish Kumar confirmed the FIR under IPC sections 376 (rape), 354 (assault or criminal force), and 506 (criminal intimidation) against five men. “Teams have been formed to probe the matter, and arrests will be made,” Kumar said.
