Father of girl set ablaze in #Jewar killed in accident

GREATER NOIDA: The father of the girl who was allegedly raped and set on fire last month in Jewar, died in an accident on the Yamuna expressway around 9am on Thursday. Suspecting foul play, his family members have demanded a thorough probe in the case.

On May 9, the 14-year-old girl had been raped and set on fire inside her residence when she was alone. According to the police complaint, the accused, a neighbour, had raped the girl and set her on fire in the presence of his wife.

At the time, the girl’s father, Prakash Kumar, had leveled serious allegations against the police for wasting crucial time, both in trying to save the girl and in recording her statement before she died. He had also accused a local politician of shielding the accused. “Prakash was fighting to get justice for his daughter. We suspect his death is a case of murder and not an accident,” said a relative.

The accident took place when Prakash was heading towards Greater Noida via Yamuna expressway on motorbike. He was on his way to a Greater Noida police station to fetch his son, who had been falsely implicated in a rape case on May 31, police said. “The son was found innocent. Prakash was on his way to bring him home,” said a police officer. On the way, he was hit by a vehicle. Police said he was first attended to by the toll operator’s rescue team and rushed to a private hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

SP Sanjay Yadav said Jewar police station has lodged an FIR and will conduct a probe. “A police team is probing the case to verify the allegations made by the family that some people, who were allegedly involved in the rape and murder of the girl, are also involved in his death. So far, though, we haven’t arrested anyone,” Yadav said.

Jewar villagers blocked the Bulandshahr road in the evening, demanding the Jewar SHO be suspended. The road was blocked till late evening after protesters demanded Gautam Budh Nagar senior superintendent of police Preetinder Singh to personally reach there and promise action on the police officer.