A horrifying incident of violence and brutality has occurred in the Karauli district of Rajasthan, where a 19-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped, assaulted with acid and subsequently killed. This chilling event has provoked shock and outrage across the region and beyond. The young victim, a resident of Mohanpura village and under the jurisdiction of the Balghat police station, had her life violently taken away from her. After the horrifying act, her body was sent to the morgue at the district hospital in Hindaun to undergo a post-mortem examination.

Late Friday, police revealed that the young woman had not only been gang-raped but was also subjected to a brutal acid attack. The perpetrators apparently hoped to destroy her identity by disfiguring her face with the corrosive substance. Tragically, their heinous actions culminated in her murder. After the tragic event, her lifeless body was discovered in a well located on Bhilapada road, falling under the Nadauti police station area.

Describing the grim discovery, Babulal, a Police Officer from Nadoti, revealed that the authorities were alerted about a female body found in a well late in the evening. Upon reaching the site, the police identified the victim as Aarti Bairwa, a 19-year-old local resident. The officer further noted that a post-mortem examination would be conducted at the district hospital in Hindaun, the results of which would guide their ensuing actions. As of now, the police are vigorously pursuing their investigations into this tragic event.

The victim was known to be a diligent BA student. She had two younger sisters and a brother, all of whom are minors. Their father has been working abroad in Dubai as a laborer for the past six years, leaving the young woman as the eldest responsible person at home.

In the aftermath of the horrifying event, the girl's distraught mother, a Dalit woman, stood outside the morgue of a government hospital, struggling to comprehend the tragedy that had befallen her family. She described the night her daughter was taken, saying, "There were two-three men, they came quietly, put a cloth on her mouth and bundled her inside a car. And now she's dead, with a bullet in the chest and acid on her face after being gang-raped."

The shocking manner in which the young woman was killed has sent ripples of fear and sorrow throughout their community. It's believed that the attackers used acid in an attempt to hide her identity, further adding to the brutality of the crime. This tragedy has not just affected the family and local residents, but it has also drawn the attention of political entities such as the BJP, Congress, BSP, and AAP, especially as Assembly elections in the state are approaching.

Recounting the horrifying events, the girl's mother revealed that the crime took place when the family was sleeping outside their home on the night of July 11-12. She woke up to a noise and started shouting when she saw the men abducting her daughter, but sadly, her cries for help fell on deaf ears. The mother suspects that the loud fans and coolers in her neighbors' homes may have drowned out her desperate pleas.

As her other children were too young to accompany her to the police station, the mother had to rely on a relative from Jaipur for support. They searched for the missing girl for hours to no avail and finally decided to approach the police station. However, their ordeal didn't end there, as the police reportedly asked them to wait till the next morning, asserting that the girl would return home. When the police refused to file an FIR and allegedly threatened the family, they had no choice but to return home, left with a sense of helplessness and despair.

The next morning brought the harrowing news of a body being found in a well. The girl's mother was informed, and she recognized her daughter's body when it was pulled out around noon. She managed to inform her husband in Dubai about the tragedy, but he was unable to return as he had recently visited home on leave.

An initial case of unnatural death was registered under CrPC section 174, with the police presuming that the girl had drowned. A post-mortem was conducted between 5 pm and 7 pm Thursday, led by Principal Medical Officer Pushpendra Gupta.

Upon learning about the case, Dr. Kirodi Lal Meena, BJP's Rajya Sabha MP, arrived at the location and sat with the family on a dharna, demanding a second post-mortem examination to ensure there was no cover-up. A different team of doctors performed the second autopsy on orders of the District Collector. These doctors came from the district headquarters in Karauli.

The first post-mortem revealed a gunshot wound in the chest, acid burns on the face and hands, and indications of possible rape. While the gunshot wound was confirmed, the evidence of acid attack and rape is awaiting further analysis of preserved samples.

The girl’s mother gave a written complaint to the police, and an FIR was lodged under IPC sections 302 (murder), 376D (gang-rape), 326A (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid), 363 (kidnapping), and 366 (kidnapping or abducting a woman to compel her marriage or to cause her defilement) against unknown assailants.

By Friday afternoon, the hospital where the girl’s body was kept had been swarmed by members of the BJP, Congress, BSP, and AAP, each with their own agenda. There was palpable tension between the political parties as they tried to 'claim' the family, with BJP members insisting that anyone who wished to meet the family should do so at their location.

Despite this tension, the family's primary concern remains the arrest of the culprits, monetary compensation, securing a job for a family member, and action against the policemen who allegedly threatened them. Karauli Superintendent of Police Mamta Gupta assured that discussions with the family are ongoing and that action would be taken against any police officers found guilty of misconduct.