THE Shahjahanpur police, Uttar Pradesh, Friday booked two brothers for an alleged gangrape 27 years ago, following which the victim, then 14, delivered a boy. The case was lodged by the woman, who is now in her 40s and lives in Lucknow, on court direction.

In her petition to the court, the woman has sought DNA test of the two accused to determine the biological father of her son. She said she had not approached police earlier because of social stigma but was doing so now as her son, whom she had given up for adoption, wanted to know about his father. She also said her husband had separated from her after coming to know she had a son before their marriage.

“We have registered a gangrape case against the two brothers, who run a business. We are preparing for a DNA test,” Circle Officer, City, Praveen Kumar Yadav said. Police identified the accused as Naki Hasan and Guddu.

“We need to see what and how evidence can be collected in the case which occurred 27 years ago,” Yadav said, adding that the woman had not mentioned the specific date and month in her complaint. Police, who will be recording her statement before a magistrate soon, believe the alleged incident happened in 1994-95.

Station House Officer, Sadar Bazar Police Station, Ashok Pal Singh said that as per the woman, she had come to stay at the time with her sister in the Sadar Bazar area of Shahjahanpur. She said she was first assaulted by the two brothers, who were then in their 20s and lived nearby, when she was visiting their home for some work. They allegedly assaulted her again later at her own home, while her sister and brother-in-law were away at work, threatening her to stay quiet.

Singh said she didn’t tell anyone about what had happened, and a few days after the incident, she and her sister moved to Lucknow. It was there that she realised she was pregnant, and told her sister. The woman said the accused also threatened her sister when she confronted them, and they decided not to go to police.

Due to her being just 14, the doctors refused an abortion, the woman said. She gave birth to a boy, and they gave him up for adoption to a couple whom they knew from their native place, who promised to take good care of him.

Later, the woman got married. She has a son with her husband.

“The victim has stated in her complaint that a few months back, her first son — now a grown-up — came to her. She suspects the adoptive family told him about her. The victim said her son pressed her about his biological father and so she had decided to move court for both a DNA test and for action in the alleged sexual assault case,” said Singh.