A nurse was tragically raped and murdered while returning home from her job at a private hospital in Uttarakhand. The horrifying incident occurred on the evening of July 30, when the victim left the hospital and was last seen on CCTV footage taking an e-rickshaw from Indra Chowk in Rudrapur.
She was supposed to reach her rented accommodation on Kashipur Road in Bilaspur, Uttar Pradesh, where she lived with her 11-year-old daughter. However, she never made it home.
When the nurse failed to return, her sister filed a missing persons report the next day. After an agonizing eight-day search, on August 8, the Uttar Pradesh Police discovered her body in an empty plot, just 1.5 km from her residence in Dibdiba village. The discovery of her body has sent shockwaves through the community, raising serious concerns about the safety of women in the region.
Police Investigation and Arrest of the Suspect
The police immediately launched an investigation, sending the body for a post-mortem examination and forming a team to track down the perpetrator. The breakthrough in the case came when authorities traced the victim’s stolen mobile phone, which led them to the suspect, Dharmendra, a daily wage labourer from Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. Dharmendra was arrested on Wednesday in Rajasthan, bringing some relief to the grieving family.
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According to the police, Dharmendra, who was intoxicated at the time, spotted the victim and followed her as she approached her apartment building. In a chilling account, Senior Superintendent of Police Manjunath TC of Udham Singh Nagar explained, “He dragged her to the nearby bushes, raped and strangled her using her scarf.”
After committing the heinous act, Dharmendra stole the victim’s mobile phone and Rs 3,000 from her purse before fleeing the scene.
Nationwide Outrage and Calls for Action
This brutal crime has occurred against the backdrop of national outrage over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The 31-year-old doctor’s semi-naked body was found in the seminar hall of the government-run hospital, sparking widespread protests. The medical community has been demanding the passage of the Central Healthcare Protection Act to ensure the safety of doctors and medical staff in their workplaces.
As the nation grapples with these tragic events, there are renewed calls for stronger measures to protect women and medical professionals across India. The arrests in both cases are a step toward justice, but the demand for systemic change to prevent such atrocities remains urgent.
