Nurse Raped and Murdered in Uttarakhand, Body Found Days Later in UP

A nurse from Uttarakhand was raped and murdered while returning home from a private hospital on July 30. After leaving the hospital in the evening, she was last seen on CCTV footage boarding an e-rickshaw from Indra Chowk in Rudrapur. However, she never made it to her rented accommodation on Kashipur Road in Bilaspur, Uttar Pradesh, where she lived with her 11-year-old daughter.

The nurse’s sister reported her missing the following day. After an agonizing eight-day search, the Uttar Pradesh police discovered her body on August 8 in an isolated plot approximately 1.5 kilometers from her residence in Dibdiba village. The authorities conducted a post-mortem and formed a special team to track down the perpetrator.

The investigation led police to Dharmendra, a daily wage laborer from Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, who had been using the nurse’s stolen mobile phone. Dharmendra, who had fled to Rajasthan, was apprehended on Wednesday.

According to police reports, Dharmendra, under the influence of alcohol, spotted the nurse and followed her as she approached her apartment building. He then attacked her, dragged her into nearby bushes, where he raped and strangled her with her own scarf. The suspect also stole her mobile phone and ₹3,000 from her purse.

This horrifying incident comes in the wake of national outrage over the recent rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The doctor’s semi-naked body was discovered in the seminar hall of the government-run hospital, sparking widespread protests. Healthcare workers across India are now demanding the swift implementation of the Central Healthcare Protection Act to safeguard medical professionals at their workplaces.