In a horrific incident, when a claim – ‘No one can be trusted, is proved. This is a story that chills the heart and shakes the very foundation of humanity. In Terai Fatak village of Lalitpur district in Uttar Pradesh, a young girl of just 14 years suffered a horrific tragedy that no society should ever witness or tolerate.
On the evening of April 4, 2020, the girl was called by the wife of her neighbour, Ashok Yadav, from where she was sitting innocently with her father. Rachna, the wife of Ashok Yadav, called the victim for some work in her house, and she went there and trusted the woman and man whom she called “uncle and aunt.”
But this trust was betrayed in the cruellest way imaginable. Ashok Yadav forcibly raped her inside his house. When she cried out, instead of help, the accused’s wife, Rachna, threatened her to keep silent, warning that her father and brother would be killed if she spoke about the crime.
When the girl refused to be silenced, Ashok Yadav poured kerosene on her, and Rachna set her on fire. The young girl, covered in flames, ran to the backyard, where villagers saw her burning and rushed to provide what little aid they could. By the time she was brought to the hospital, 75% of her body was severely burned.
The girl was first admitted to Lalitpur Hospital and then shifted to Jhansi Medical College on April 5, 2020, where she gave her first dying declaration. Due to the seriousness of her condition, she was later referred to a hospital in Gwalior, where on April 8, 2020, she gave her second dying declaration. In her statement, she had described the brutal incident of rape she endured which was corroborated with the DNA report and FSL evidences.
The case was registered at Tal Behat Police Station as FIR No. 67/2020 and is currently listed as Sessions Case No. 237/2020 before the Special POCSO Court in Lalitpur. Hon’ble Allahabad High Court has earlier directed the Trial Court to conclude the trial in 6 months but the same did not happen.
The trial has been long and arduous, confronting not only the severe facts of the case but also persistent attempts by the accused to manipulate and derail justice.
The case saw steady progress over the years, culminating in final arguments on January 23, 2025, with judgement scheduled for January 29, 2025.
However, on the very day the verdict was to be pronounced, the court unexpectedly summoned two additional witnesses: the accused’s mother and a close business associate of Ashok Yadav, both of whom had not appeared previously. Throughout, the accused have resorted to threats and intimidation in an effort to silence the victim’s family and obstruct the truth.
The final arguments concluded on September 19, 2025, and the case now awaits judgment.
This horrific crime clearly falls under the “rarest of rare” category established by the Supreme Court in landmark judgments such
as Dhananjoy Chatterjee vs. State of West Bengal and Machhi Singh vs. State of Punjab.
The sheer cruelty inflicted on a child rape followed by an attempt to burn her alive demands not only punishment but justice of the highest order.
Beyond just this case, Bundelkhand has been plagued by far too many such tragedies that rarely see justice due to fear, manipulation, and social stigma. This particular incident represents the silent cries of hundreds of victims whose stories remain unspoken. Now, more than ever, the people’s conscience demands that the court deliver an unequivocal verdict affirming that such cowardice and brutality will be met with the strongest punishment the law allows.
This is essential not only to provide justice to the victim and her family but also to send a message to society that children must be protected without fail. It is well versed that justice should not only be done, but also seen to be done.
It is known that when the incident happens it came in the news but when the time for verdict come no one cares for it. Also it is the high time for providing justice in cases of crime against women when the Prime Minister of India from the Red Fort on 15.08.2025 said that the high level of Punishment shall be awarded to the accused committing such crime.
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Swastika Sruti is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX Digital with 5 years of experience shaping stories that matter. She loves tracking politics- national and global trends, and never misses a chance to dig deeper into policies and developments. Passionate about what’s happening around us, she brings sharp insight and clarity to every piece she works on. When not curating news, she’s busy exploring what’s next in the world of public interest. You can reach her at [swastika.newsx@gmail.com]
