Ayodhya: Ayodhya (Faizabad) MP Awadhesh Prasad was seen in tears in front of reporters after the naked body of a 22-year-old Dalit woman was found in a canal near her village in Uttar Pradesh. The woman’s family believes she was murdered and have alleged that her eyes were removed and her body bore deep wounds and fractures.
As soon as Prasad learned about the shocking crime, he rushed to the site and met the grieving family. Overcome with emotion, he broke down in front of journalists, saying, “I failed to save her.” His colleagues tried to console him, telling him that he must fight for justice for the victim.
यह जघन्य अपराध बेहद दुःखद हैं।
अयोध्या के ग्रामसभा सहनवां, सरदार पटेल वार्ड में 3 दिन से गायब दलित परिवार की बेटी का शव निर्वस्त्र अवस्था में मिला है, उसकी दोनों आँखें फोड़ दी गई हैं उसके साथ अमानवीय व्यवहार हुआ है।
यह सरकार इंसाफ नही कर सकती। pic.twitter.com/aSvI3N74Kl
— Awadhesh Prasad (@Awadheshprasad_) February 2, 2025
MP promises to raise issue in Parliament
In a video that surfaced online, Prasad can be heard saying, “Let me go to Delhi, to Lok Sabha. I will raise this matter before (PM) Modi. If we don’t get justice, I will resign.”
Visibly shaken, he questioned how such a crime could happen, asking, “What will history say? How did this happen to the girl child?” Prasad, who is a senior leader of the Samajwadi Party, also invoked Lord Ram and Goddess Sita while expressing his anguish over the incident.
His supporters urged him to stay strong and assured him that he had been elected to fight for justice. They handed him a tissue to wipe his tears as he continued to express his grief.
Details of incident
The 22-year-old Dalit woman had been missing since Thursday night. Her family launched a desperate search for her but failed to find her. On Saturday morning, her brother-in-law discovered her body in a small canal, just 500 meters from their village.
Her hands and legs were tied with ropes, and her body had deep cuts. According to her family, her eyes had been removed, and one of her legs was fractured. Villagers who lifted the body noticed the horrifying injuries, while her elder sister and two other women fainted at the sight.
Circle Officer Ashutosh Tiwari said that the police had registered a missing person complaint on Friday after the family reported her disappearance. After the body was found, a post-mortem examination was ordered to determine the cause of death.
“Once we receive the post-mortem findings, we will take further action,” Tiwari told PTI.
However, the victim’s family has accused the police of negligence. They claim that despite filing a missing complaint, officers did not actively search for her. A huge crowd gathered at the crime scene, demanding swift justice and strict punishment for the culprits.
Rahul Gandhi attacks Yogi government
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi condemned the brutal murder and blamed the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government for failing to protect Dalit women.
“The inhumane and brutal murder of a Dalit daughter in Ayodhya is heartbreaking and deeply shameful,” Gandhi wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
He alleged that crimes against Dalits in Uttar Pradesh are rising under the BJP government and that the administration ignored the family’s pleas for help. “Had the police acted in time, her life might have been saved,” he said.
Authorities suspect that the woman may have been gangraped before being killed, though forensic reports will confirm the details. The police have launched an investigation, and efforts are underway to identify and arrest the culprits.
