The sister of the man accused of burning a woman he'd been accused of raping alive Thursday in the Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, India has demanded that the country’s top investigative agency should probe the case.
The victim, who reportedly walked nearly a kilometre in burnt state to seek help, had shared in her statement that she was beaten up by the five men, who then knifed her before setting her ablaze.
The sister, who did not wish to be named, alleged it was a political conspiracy and that her family was being targeted because it’s a part of the village’s local governing body.
"My brother Shubham and my father Hari Shankar are being targeted because my mother is the head of the Kundanpur Village Panchayat (village governing body). I want a CBI inquiry into the case so that the truth is known," she said.
She also insisted that the rape charges against her brother were fabricated.
Meanwhile, the victim was admitted to the hospital in Lucknow with 90 percent burns, and was later flown to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital after her condition deteriorated. She is presently being treated in New Delhi. The doctors have stated that her condition was "critical".
The State chief Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government, meanwhile, has set up a special investigation team to probe the incident.
Lately, the country has been witnessing a spike in rape cases where the victim is burnt alive – more than five cases have come to light in a row in the last two weeks.
The burnt body of another woman was found on Friday in India’s West Bengal state. Although the police did not confirm rape, it said there were injuries on her private parts.
