The main accused in the Badaun gang-rape case identified as Baba Satya Narayan, had been hiding in the same village for the last two days while several police teams were looking for him all over the state. On Thursday night, Police in Uttar Pradesh, Badaun, arrested the priest who is the main accused in the alleged gangrape of a 50-year-old Anganwadi worker.

The accused priest had been hiding in the same village for the last two days while several police teams including STF were looking for him all over the state. Police had a tough time tracking him despite a reward Rs 50, 000 on his arrest. The two other accused in the case were nabbed by the police on Tuesday night.

According to the police, the 50-year-old Anganwadi worker was allegedly gangraped and murdered on Sunday when she had gone to a temple. The post-mortem report confirmed rape, and there were injuries in her private parts and a fracture in the leg. Following this, based on a complaint filed by her family members, a case was registered against the priest and his two aides at Ughaiti police station under 376 (d) and 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The station in-charge of Ughaiti police station was suspended for negligence after a probe ordered by Sankalp Sharma, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Budaun found him guilty.

On Thursday, a two-member team from the National Commission for Women (NCW) met the victim’s family members at their village and expressed dissatisfaction over the police action in the case.

Chandramukhi Devi, a member of the team, said that the incident was “most sickening and unfortunate” and placing a station officer under suspension is not enough. Such heinous incidents are happening despite campaigns like ‘mission Shakti’ and ‘ beti bachao-beti padhao’ as criminals do not fear the police, she added.

Meanwhile, former Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav accused the police and administration of purposely delaying the post-mortem examination of the victim. He also said that crime against women is at its peak under the Yogi government.