Agencies
In a major development in the politically sensitive Unnao rape case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has reportedly confirmed rape charge against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar.
Citing sources, The Times of India reported that the CBI corroborated the survivor’s charge that Sengar raped her at his home on June 4 last year while his female accomplice, Shashi Singh, stood guard outside the room.
The central agency is also reported to have found the local police at fault. According to the report, the police did not name Sengar and some other accused in the FIR, even as the survivor mentioned their involvement several times.
In an apparent connivance with the accused persons, the police also reportedly delayed the girl's medical examination and didn't send her vaginal swab or clothes to the forensic laboratory.
“The girl was raped on June 4 by the MLA after she was brought to his house by Shashi Singh on the pretext of providing her a job. Between June 4 and June 10, the girl didn’t speak as she had been threatened. On June 11, she was abducted by three persons — Shubham Singh, Awadh Narayan and Brijesh Yadav. From June 11 to 19, the girl was kept mostly in an SUV and repeatedly gang-raped by these three while on the move,” the English daily quoted a CBI source as describing the sequence of events eastablished by the agency.
The vicitim has stood by her allegations in a statement recorded by the CBI under CrPC Section 164.
The case had led to a massive public outrage after the victim tried to set herself ablaze outside Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s residence on April 8, claiming police inaction in the case. Following the outrage an FIR was lodged against Sengar. The Uttar Pradesh government later handed over the case to CBI.
Sengar is also accused of conspiring to kill the victim's father, who died in police custody after being allegedly thrashed by Sengar’s brother and his aides. At present, he is lodged in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur jail.
Conmen arrested for seeking Rs 10 million from Unnao rape accused’s wife: On Thursday, two men were reportedly arrested by Lucknow police for demanding Rs 10 million from Sengar's wife to get the case against the BJP leader dropped. The accused, identified as Alok and Vijay, posed as a BJP leader and CBI official.
“Two people have been arrested for demanding Rs 1 crore from Sangeeta Singh, wife of Kuldeep Singh Sengar. They were offering to secure release of the MLA from custody,” said Deepak Kumar, SSP, Lucknow told Hindustan Times. |
