She left for coaching like any other day. Then, for 16 days, her family had no idea where she was.
Uttar Pradesh has repeatedly faced questions over women’s safety, with cases of abduction and sexual violence continuing to make headlines despite strict laws and public outrage.
Now, a disturbing case from Mahoba has once again sparked concern. A 25-year-old NEET aspirant has alleged that she was kidnapped, drugged, tortured and gang-raped before police rescued her from Prayagraj. Police have arrested three accused so far, while searches for others are ongoing.
A Regular Day That Turned Into A Nightmare
The woman, originally from Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district, had moved to Mahoba to prepare for the NEET exam. She lived in a rented room and attended coaching classes and library sessions regularly.
On 30 April, she did not return home.
According to her family, she had left a library near Mahoba’s bypass road that evening. When they could not contact her, her mother filed a missing person complaint the next day.
Later, the survivor told police that a group of men forced her into a car.
She alleged that the accused injected her with sedatives and took her away.
During the next 16 days, she claimed she was repeatedly raped while being held captive.
What The Survivor Told Police
The survivor’s statement details allegations of repeated assault during the 16-day period.
According to reports, she alleged that the accused burned her with cigarettes, injured her with knives and assaulted her multiple times during captivity.
Police sources also said obscene photos and videos were allegedly recorded.
In her court statement, the survivor said the accused later took her to Prayagraj and pressured her to marry one of them, Mohit Srivastava.
When she refused, she alleged they threatened to kill her brother.
She also told authorities that she missed her NEET examination while she was being held captive.
Police Action And Arrests
Police say the woman was rescued from Prayagraj on 16 May after multiple teams tracked her location. Mahoba ASP Vandana Singh said four police teams were formed to investigate the case.
So far, three accused have been arrested. Police identified them as Mohit Srivastava, Ankit Srivastava and Santramon, also known as Allu Rajput in some reports. Authorities say more names surfaced after the survivor’s court statement, and raids are ongoing to arrest the remaining accused.
The case has also drawn political reactions, with opposition leaders criticising the state government over women’s safety in Uttar Pradesh.
