In the Budaun district, a distressing incident unfolded where a young Dalit woman reportedly faced severe burn injuries after being forcibly thrown into a scalding cauldron at a jaggery-making unit. The incident, which occurred as a consequence of the woman protesting against molestation, has resulted in the 18-year-old victim undergoing intensive treatment at GTB Hospital in Delhi. Providing an update on the situation, the police revealed that three individuals, including the owner of the cauldron, have been apprehended in connection with the crime.
The Inspector in charge of the Binauli police station, M P Singh, elucidated that the victim, hailing from Muzaffarnagar, was employed at Pramod's cauldron in a local village. The sequence of events leading to this horrifying act unfolded on a Wednesday, as per the complaint lodged by the woman's brother at the Binauli police station on the subsequent Saturday. According to the complaint, while the woman was engaged in her work at the cauldron, individuals identified as Pramod, Raju, and Sandeep allegedly subjected her to molestation and inappropriate behavior. The situation escalated when she raised objections, prompting the accused to purportedly throw her into the hot cauldron with apparent intent to cause fatal harm. Additionally, the assailants allegedly directed "casteist words" towards her before making a hasty escape.
In response to the filed complaint, the police have taken cognizance of the matter, registering a case against the accused trio—Pramod, Raju, and Sandeep—under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), and 307 (attempt to murder). Furthermore, charges have been pressed under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. All three accused have been taken into custody, and ongoing investigations are aimed at ensuring further legal actions are pursued in light of this disturbing incident.
