MEERUT: A 50-year-old Dalit woman out on a walk with her daughter was killed by goons who later abducted the 20-year-old woman. The chilling crime in a Meerut town has sent shock waves across the region, triggering loud condemnation and outrage.The mother of the young woman had stepped between her daughter and the men trying to drag her away when she paid with her life on Thursday. She was struck on the head with a sharp weapon, later succumbing to her injuries, even as the attackers fled with her daughter.Police said local residents Paras Som, 23, and Sunil Kumar, 25, were the ones involved in the crime. Meerut SSP Vipin Tada said police have doubled the number of investigation teams from the initial five to 10 now to trace the accused and rescue the abducted woman. “An FIR has been filed against two persons under BNS sections for murder and abduction, along with relevant provisions of the SC/ST Act. Questioning is underway of those close to the accused. Based on the clues, teams have also been sent to Haryana and Delhi,” the SSP said.Meerut Zone ADG Bhanu Bhaskar told TOI, “We have assured the family that every possible measure is being taken to recover their daughter and bring the perpetrators to justice.” Meerut DM VK Singh, meanwhile, added, “A total of Rs 10 lakh has been given to the family from the CM relief fund, and they would receive an additional Rs 12 lakh by the time the chargesheet is filed in court.”Before she was hospitalised, the woman was conscious and narrated the attack. “Paras misbehaved with my daughter. When I protested against this, he started beating and abusing me. He hit my head with a sharp instrument. After this, Paras kidnapped my daughter,” she said hours before succumbing to her injuries at a local hospital. The prime accused, Paras, a medical assistant, and Sunil Kumar remain absconding, police said.As outrage spread, political leaders visited the bereaved family on Friday. Former Union minister and ex-MP of Muzaffarnagar Sanjeev Balyan said, “I asked the family to have a little patience. The police will trace the daughter unharmed, and the culprits will get the strictest punishment.”Calling the incident “extremely tragic, shameful and concerning”, BSP supremo Mayawati posted on X: “The govt must take these incidents of violation of women’s dignity and subsequent murder with utmost seriousness and take immediate and strict action against the culprits to prevent criminal elements from committing such heinous acts in the future. The govt must pay adequate attention, especially to the issue of women’s safety.“Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, while taking a dig at the BJP govt, also reacted strongly on X. “…The BJP govt reached a point of no return in its patronage of criminals…There can be nothing worse than a situation where people lose all hope in their govt. The BJP is a completely failed administration,” he posted.The incident took a turn after it emerged that the woman and the accused belonged to different communities. Former MLA Sangeet Som urged restraint. “The case should be seen purely from a crime point of view. Goons abducted a woman and killed her mother. They should be given a punishment remembered by their generations,” he said.Meanwhile, the woman’s husband told TOI on Friday morning that the family would not allow her cremation until their daughter was found. However, later at night, the family consented to the cremation following intensive negotiations with senior administrative and police officials. The final rites were conducted under heavy security in the presence of the district magistrate, SSP, DIG and the ADG.The family — the father and two sons — survives on daily wage labour. The abducted woman is the third child. Due to poverty, she dropped out of school around two years ago.
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