India: Woman guard dies after alleged rape by supervisor in Ghaziabad housing society

Ghaziabad, India

A day after a heart-wrenching alleged rape incident in a housing society located within a sprawling township in India's Ghaziabad, a 19-year-old woman guard hailing from Jharkhand tragically died at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital. The accused society manager Ajay Kumar, in his mid-30s, has been arrested in the case, media reports said.

The tragedy unfolded on Sunday morning (August 27) around 11:15 am when the young guard entered the storage room to fetch water. Upon her return, she appeared deeply distressed and tearful. In an unexpected turn of events, she closed the main gate and prohibited entry to residents, urging her fellow guards to summon the police. "She complained of breathlessness while talking and slumped to the ground. We then took her to a nearby hospital," a guard quoted by the media reports said. 

The arrest came after a complaint was lodged by a family member of the deceased woman. The family alleged that multiple individuals were involved in the sexual assault. An autopsy report, which is expected to provide crucial insights into the case, is reportedly pending.  

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The Deputy Commissioner of Police (rural), Vivek Yadav, said that they received a distress call from a private hospital, which revealed that the young woman had been admitted due to a complaint of sexual assault. "When we spoke to some of her relatives, they alleged she had been raped by the society's manager and beaten up by two others. We then registered an FIR for gang rape against the three," he purportedly said.

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In response, a First Information Report (FIR) for gang rape was promptly filed against the three suspects. Later, in a significant development, the woman provided a written statement to a magistrate, primarily naming the manager.

Condition worsened

The woman's condition worsened, leading to her transfer to Safdarjung Hospital. Her health continued to deteriorate, and she tragically passed away during treatment on Monday morning (August 28).

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Hailing from Giridih in Jharkhand, she had aspired to pursue higher studies, but financial constraints compelled her to take on the role of a guard in the city's housing society. She had been working as a guard in the society for about 40 days before the unfortunate incident occurred. Colleagues of the victim reportedly revealed that the maintenance manager often flirted with her and made indecent comments.