Unnao rape: BJP MLA visits police in late-night drama

‘WHEN THERE IS AN ARREST WARRANT, CALL ME,’ SENGAR WAS HEARD SAYING OUTSIDE THE SSP OFFICE

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh BJP legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar made a midnight visit to the Lucknow police on Wednesday as pressure mounted for his arrest over allegations that he raped a teenager last year and that his brother fatally assaulted the girl’s father to force the family into dropping the case.

But instead of arresting him, as media reports suggested prior to his visit, a policeman at the office of the senior superintendent told Sengar that he will be contacted if needed.

“When there is an arrest warrant, call me,” Sengar was heard telling the police, minutes after he insisted to reporters that he was being framed.

The rape and the father’s death triggered widespread anger and strong criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party state government led by Yogi Adityanath, who held a meeting with party boss Amit Shah in Lucknow hours earlier.

Late evening, a special team of state police also submitted a report.

On Wednesday, the Allahabad high court took cognisance of the case and asked the state government for a response.

Earlier in the day, the 18-yearold woman said that she and her family had been placed under “house arrest” and told a social worker she met that Sengar had also sexually harassed other girls.

“We are not allowed to move out, we are constantly guarded…they want us to break down,” the woman told media. The administration denied the charges and said the family had been put up in a local hotel and several police personnel deputed for their security.

The woman has accused Sengar’s brother Atul of attacking her father, who was l ater arrested for allegedly illegally possessing firearms, and died in judicial custody.

The alleged rape took place on July 4 last year but the MLA has not been formally named in the investigation. A day before the girl’s father died, she attempted to commit suicide in front of CM Adityanath’s residence to force the police to prosecute the MLA.