2 men accused of raping deaf-mute woman held after Balrampur encounter | Lucknow News

Lucknow: Police arrested two men accused of gang-raping a 21-year-old mentally challenged deaf-mute woman after an exchange of fire with them in Balrampur district while they were trying to flee to Nepal early Wednesday.Harshit Kumar Pandey (23) sustained a bullet injury in his right leg during the encounter, while another accused, Ankur Verma (24), fractured his leg after falling on a boulder.Five policemen posted in Balrampur were suspended for laxity in patrolling. The woman was returning home from her maternal uncle’s house in Balrampur around 8pm on Monday when Harshit and Ankur offered her lift on their bike. However, they took her to a secluded spot behind Food Corporation of India warehouse and gang-raped her. The survivor tried walking towards her home but fell unconscious in a field a few metres from her home, police said.Alarmed as she didn’t return home by 9pm, her family searched and found her unconscious in the field. They rushed her to district women’s hospital where medical examination confirmed sexual assault.Police said the accused, who hail from survivor’s neighbouring village, were known to survivor’s uncle.The cops suspended are S-I Shiv Kailash, head constable Kamlesh Prasad, constables Rajneesh Kumar and Satish Chaurasia and home guard Shri Ram Gupta. Police identified the two suspects after scanning CCTV footage from the area. Multiple teams were formed under ASP Vishal Pandey and City CO Jyoti Shri, with inspector-in-charge Brijanand Singh leading the probe, said Balrampur SP Vikas Kumar.On a tip-off Tuesday night that the two suspects were attempting to flee to Nepal via an under-construction highway, a police team intercepted them riding a bike around 12.30am. The accused opened fire, prompting police to return fire and arrest the duo. Sub-Inspector Amit Chauhan suffered minor injuries in the operation.The accused were given medical aid at Joint District Hospital, Balrampur, before being taken into custody. Police seized a country-made .315 bore pistol, live cartridges, and the bike used in the crime from the accused. The duo confessed to the crime, saying that they were drunk when they spotted the woman walking alone and targeted her, police said.The survivor is now stable and has been able to convey some details of the incident through sign language with the assistance of experts.