Ballia shocker: A 20-year-old woman was found hanging from a tree with her hands tied behind her back in a village under the Nagra area in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh, police said. Her family has raised serious concerns, alleging foul play in her death.
Grandmother alleges foul play
According to her maternal grandmother, the young woman was to get married on April 25. "The condition of the body makes it clear that my granddaughter did not commit suicide. Many people are involved in this incident. I want justice. Strict action should be taken against the culprits," she said.
However, Superintendent of Police Omveer Singh stated that "prima facie, the case appears to be related to a love affair." He added that four dedicated teams have been formed to investigate the matter thoroughly and uncover the truth as soon as possible.
Singh said the woman had been alone at home for the past two days while her parents were in Lucknow for medical treatment. The police received information about her body through the 112 helpline, after which he, along with other officials and teams from the crime branch and surveillance unit, reached the scene.
Woman was found hanging six feet above the ground
The woman was found hanging six feet above the ground from a jamun tree, with her hands tied behind her back, he said.
Her brother is in Gujarat and her sister lives with her family in Assam. The nearest home in the area is 40-50 metres away.
Singh further said that the body has been sent for post-mortem and four teams of local police and surveillance, a circle officer from Rasra and an additional superintendent of police have been assigned to investigate the case.
The superintendent of police later said that the woman's body was found six to seven feet away from her home. Asked if she had been sexually assaulted, he said details would become clearer only after the post-mortem.
Opposition attacks BJP-led government
The opposition Samajwadi Party and Congress slammed the BJP-led government, claiming the incident exposed the truth behind its tall claims on women's safety in the state. Both parties demanded justice for the victim's family and held the government accountable.
In a post in Hindi on X, the Samajwadi Party said, "Daughters are becoming victims of the Adityanath government's failure! The body of a 17-year-old girl was found hanging from a tree in Ballia. Sisters and daughters are being murdered, raped and exploited every day under the BJP government. Is this the chief minister's 'zero tolerance'? Strictest action should be taken against the accused and justice delivered."
The Congress' state unit said such heart-wrenching incidents were happening with "sisters and daughters" every day under the BJP government. "But Baba ji cannot see anything beyond the pleasure of his power!" it added, referring to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
(With PTI inputs)
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