A horrific incident has come to light in Uttarakhand amidst ongoing outrage across the country over the brutal assault on a doctor in Kolkata. The nation is already witnessing protests and strikes by doctors demanding justice for the Kolkata case, and now, another tragedy has struck in Uttarakhand.
In Udham Singh Nagar district, a 33-year-old nurse working at a hospital was raped and murdered. Her body was discovered in the bushes nine days after she went missing. The police have arrested the suspect from Rajasthan, who has confessed to the crime.
Missing Since July 30
According to a report by News18, the victim, a resident of Islamnagar in Gadarpur, was employed as a nurse at a private hospital in Nainital. She lived with her 11-year-old daughter in Bilaspur Colony. She had gone missing on July 30 while traveling to her home in Bilaspur, Rampur, Uttar Pradesh. Following a complaint by her family, the police registered a missing person case on July 31 and began the investigation. Under the supervision of the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed, and over 500 CCTV cameras were reviewed as part of the investigation. The police found that on the day of the incident, the victim had boarded a tempo to head home. Her body was found in the bushes on August 8.
Rape, Murder, and Robbery
Reports suggest that the suspect took the victim into the bushes, where he raped and then murdered her. He then looted her jewelry and cash from her purse before fleeing to Rajasthan. The accused was arrested from Jodhpur. During the investigation, the police checked CCTV footage from Indira Chowk in Rudrapur to trace the victim’s last known location. The police were able to track down the suspect, Dharmendra, through the stolen mobile phone.
Intent to Rob, But Ended in Murder
Dharmendra confessed that he initially attacked the nurse with the intention to rob her when he saw her entering the Basundhara Apartment on Kashipur Road. However, upon finding an isolated spot, his intentions worsened. He took the victim there, raped her, and then strangled her to death. After the crime, he stole ₹3,000 and her jewelry and fled the scene. The police tracked him down through the stolen mobile phone and have since arrested and sent him to jail.
This incident has sent shockwaves through the community, highlighting the dire need for enhanced security and justice for victims of such heinous crimes. The arrest of the accused is a step towards justice, but the loss suffered by the victim’s family is irreplaceable.