Police in Unnao on Saturday arrested two persons for allegedly molesting and assaulting a woman in a car and then leaving her on the Lucknow-Agra highway.
The woman alleged that the two, one of them her relative, tried to force themselves on her and threw her out of the car.
Also read | Hathras, a new phase in the caste atrocity narrative
Police registered a case under the Indian Penal Code Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) based on the woman's complaint, said Superintendent of Police Unnao Sureshrao A. Kulkarni.
The accused were identified as Bilal Khan and Faisal Khan. Bilal Khan is the son of the sister-in-law of the victim, while Faisal Khan is his friend, said the police.
Bilal was taking her to Agra in a car for some registry work related to land, the woman told police. The incident happened near the Behta Mujawar area of Unnao on Friday.
Talking to a television channel from a hospital, where she was receiving treatment, the woman, a resident of Lucknow, said the accused slapped her and pulled her hair and even “dug his teeth” into her. “The other person tried to force himself on me,” she said, alleging that the accused also bit her nose, tried to suffocate her with a pillow, and threw her out of the car thinking she was dead.
Also read | Hathras gang rape: A long caste feud, a horrific crime, and a sudden cremation
Bilal Khan, the accused, claimed in a video during police questioning that was circulated on social media, that he was in a close relationship with his aunt, the victim, since last six to seven years. He claimed she wanted him to transfer a newly purchased plot of land in Bangermau in Unnao in her name and wanted to know the location of the plot when they reached near the area, which he was not willing to do.
“She started fighting and jostling with me when we reached Bangermau,” said Bilal, admitting that he slapped the woman who then grabbed the steering wheel, forcing the car to climb over a road divider.
When she did not let go of the steering wheel, Bilal said he bit her. The woman then escaped from the car and shouted to locals and passersby for help, said the accused, adding that they were soon arrested by the police as their car ran out of fuel.
