LUCKNOW/AYODHYA: A 22-year-old Dalit woman was found murdered after being allegedly raped in Ayodhya, triggering a political firestorm before the February 5 bypolls in Milkipur, an assembly constituency reserved for scheduled castes in the district. The woman had been missing since Thursday night and was found dead in a canal near her village Saturday.
The crime has drawn sharp political reactions, with the opposition accusing BJP-led UP govt of law and order failure.
CM Yogi Adityanath, while addressing a rally in Milkipur, hit back at the opposition and hinted at possible involvement of SP members in the crime. “Remember the crime with the Dalit daughter in Ayodhya. When the investigation goes to the bottom, the involvement of some or the other beast of SP will surely be known,” he said.
The woman’s family reported her missing at Ayodhya police station Friday. The next morning, her body was spotted by her brother-in-law, about 500m from her home.
Police said the autopsy revealed that the woman died due to shock and haemorrhage. While sexual assault has not yet been confirmed, forensic teams have collected samples for testing.
Senior SP Raj Karan Nayyar said Sunday that two suspects had been detained based on CCTV footage and informers’ inputs. “The culprits will be arrested soon.”
Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused BJP govt of failing to protect Dalits.
Faizabad MP Awadhesh Prasad of SP visited the victim’s family and was visibly emotional. “Let me go to Delhi, to LS. I will raise this matter before (PM) Modi. If we don’t get justice, I will resign.” His visit holds significance as Milkipur assembly seat fell vacant after his resignation following his election as an MP for Faizabad in 2024. His son Ajit Prasad is now SP’s candidate for the bypolls, while BJP has fielded Chandra Bhan Paswan. Both belong to the Dalit Pasi community. BJP has won the seat only once in the past 33 years.
While rallying support for BJP candidate, CM said: “Awadhesh Prasad is accustomed to doing ‘nautanki’ (drama).” He highlighted criminal cases against SP workers and accused the party of shielding criminals. Urging voters to support BJP, he said: “SP workers strangulated a Dalit girl in Mainpuri, while another youngster was sexually assaulted in Ayodhya.”
