India: Two days before her wedding, 19-year-old girl shot dead by stalker in Uttar Pradesh
India: The stalker wanted to marry the victim, but she had refused.
Angry over rejection, a stalker shot a 19-year-old Dalit woman and her father, in Uttar Pradesh’s city of Meerut, just two days before her wedding day. Reportedly, the accused, Saagar Thakur, wanted to marry Anchal, but she refused his advances. Furious about this, he opened fire during a celebration, killing the girl and her father.
Reportedly, the stalker arrived at the victim's house on June 27, when the pre-wedding celebration was going on and started firing indiscriminately.
The brother of the girl has also suffered bullet injures in the firing incident. Meerut city’s Superintendent of Police, Akhilesh Narayan Singh, said: "The accused Saagar and his accomplices reached the girl's house around midnight and began firing indiscriminately at the victims' family members. Anchal and two other family members were directly hit while others ran for safety.”
While Anchal died on the spot after being hit by a bullet, her father who was also hit, died at the hospital later during treatment. The girl's brother is being treated at the hospital.
Anchal's elder brother Aman told the police: “Saagar wanted to marry Anchal, but she had rejected him. On June 27 night, Saagar, and his five friends reached our house on motorbikes and started pressurising us for marriage. Later, they opened fire."
Twitter users are sharing news reports about the safety of women in the country, and especially in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
@ila_home posted: “UP is one of the most unsafe places to grow up in. One would think things would have changed in last few decades - seems hasn't changed much.”
@Khush_boozing tweeted: “Just a daily Reminder that How safe a woman is in Uttar Pradesh.”
Police have filed an FIR (First Information Report) under sections 302 (murder) 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and other sections of Schedule Cast/Schedule Tribe Act (Prevention of Atrocities). Five people including Saagar, his mother Rekha, and three other accused have been named in the FIR.
The prime accused Saagar is still absconding, while two of his aides have been arrested.
"We have arrested two accused Neeraj and Prince. Efforts are on to arrest the other accused," a police official confirmed, according to a news report by Times of India.