Henna artist dies, 4 injured as car overturns near Lucknow, husband alleges rape bid by co-passengers

A 30-year-old henna artist was killed and four others, including her 17-year-old cousin and three men, were injured after their car overturned on the outskirts of Lucknow city on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday. However, the incident took a dramatic turn when the woman’s husband accused the three men, who were known to the couple, of attempting to sexually assault her. He claimed that there was a scuffle inside the car when his wife tried to call one of her relatives while she was being attacked, leading to the crash. According to the police, the woman was hired to apply henna at a haldi ceremony at the residence of one of the men in the car and was on her way to the function when the incident occurred, allegedly after a dog came in their way. The police said that during the preliminary inquiry, it emerged that the victim had willingly accompanied the men. The Lucknow police, who have launched an investigation, said that, so far, they have found no evidence to suggest a sexual assault attempt on the woman. Nipun Agarwal, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Lucknow, said the postmortem report of the victim confirmed that she died of antemortem spinal injuries and added that there were no external or internal injuries on her private parts. The report also denied any injury from a sharp-edged weapon, he added. The autopsy was conducted by a panel of four doctors, and the entire process was videographed, the officer said. An FIR has been registered against the three men under charges of rash driving, sexual harassment, criminal intimidation, and other relevant sections. No arrests have been made so far. Two of the men named in the First Information Report (FIR) have been detained for questioning, he added. A police team rushed to the spot after receiving information and took the injured to the hospital, where the woman was declared dead. The deceased has been survived by her husband, who works in a courier service, and a son. The police said that the henna artist and the three men, all in their 30s, belong to the same Scheduled Caste community.