Woman Thrashed, Eyes Burned With Hot Knife After Resisting Rape By 2 Men

A woman in India has been reportedly thrashed and brutally assaulted by two men after she tried to resist their attempt to rape her.

The 25-year-old woman from Lalitpur, a city in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, has been hospitalized after the suspects allegedly burned her eyes with a hot knife and beat her up in a failed sexual assault attempt last week, News 18 reported.

The incident happened on July 21, when the victim, a vegetable seller who was returning home in the evening, was approached by the two men identified as Himanshu Raikwar and Gangaram. The woman told the police when the duo attempted to sexually assault her, she resisted them by beating them up with her slippers, news outlet Granthsala India reported.

However, the duo reportedly overpowered her and put a cloth in her mouth to silence her. The suspects who got insulted by her beatings heated a knife with a lighter and burned her eyes, according to the criminal complaint.

Raikwar and Gangaram reportedly continued to thrash the victim before finally running away after hearing a siren from a police patrol. The woman was severely injured and left unattended in the deserted area as the police patrol vehicle did not notice her. The unconscious victim was taken to the hospital after her sister-in-law found her the next morning.

The victim's family alleged that the two suspects are known criminals in the area and had attempted to sexually assault the woman once three months ago. The woman's sister-in-law alleged that even though they had filed a police complaint against them three months back, the authorities failed to act on it.

Girish Kumar, Superintendent of Police, said the woman had previously complained about the suspects and they had booked the two men. However, the police said the woman had only reported verbal abuse and did not complain about any sexual assault.

Based on the current complaint, immediate action will be taken against the duo, Kumar added. The police said they have registered a case and are searching for the suspects.