BJP MLA’s brother held, SIT to probe Unnao rape
DEATH SPURS ACTION NHRC seeks report on rape victim’s father’s custodial death; autopsy reveals 14 injuries on body of deceased
UP BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar’s brother was arrested on Tuesday for the custodial death of an 18-year-old rape victim’s father. This came a day after chief minister Yogi Adityanath promised strict action and reprimanded Kuldeep, the Bangarmau MLA accused of rape by the woman.
The police also set up a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the woman’s allegations of rape against the lawmaker.
A state government spokesperson said: “The CM has directed the home department to ensure that SIT visits Unnao tomorrow (Wednesday) and gives its first report by evening.”
The woman has accused Kuldeep and his aides of raping her last year. The woman also said the police did not investigate her allegations and did not name Kuldeep in an official document which recorded her complaint.
She attempted suicide in front of Adityanath’s residence on Sunday, alleging police inaction even after repeated complaints.
Police spokesperson Rahul Srivastava said Atul Singh Sengar, the brother of Kuldeep, was arrested for attacking the woman’s father on April 3 this year that allegedly caused his death on Monday. In all five people have been arrested in the case.
He said that charges of voluntarily causing hurt, culpable homicide and criminal intimidation have been slapped against the MLA’s brother.
The police added IPC section 302 (murder) against Atul later in the day. “IPC section 302 for murder has also been added in the FIR,” said DIG law and order Praveen Kumar.
The NHRC has sent a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government and the state police chief seeking a detailed report on the death of the father of the woman in judicial custody in Unnao, and has asked the authorities to ensure “the aggrieved family is not subjected to further harassment”.
“The incident was reported to have happened a day after the alleged rape victim tried to immolate herself near the chief minister’s residence accusing BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his aides of gangrape,” the NHRC said on Tuesday.
The father of the woman died on Monday, hours after he collapsed in prison where he had been detained after being assaulted by men purportedly connected to the MLA. “We have not given a clean chit to anyone. No one will be spared. All the accused, including the MLA, will be questioned,” additional director general (law and order) Anand Kumar said on Tuesday.
The deceased’s post-mortem report released on Tuesday morning said all the ante-mortem injuries on his body were fatal. “In all, 14 injuries were found on the body of the deceased. He died of shock and septicaemia and perforation in ascending colon (large intestine),” chief medical officer, Unnao, Dr SP Chaudhary said.
After the victim’s cremation, his younger brother on Tuesday said the family had submitted an application to the CM in Lucknow in August last year.
“When we approached a deputy superintendent of police, who was handed over the probe after our meeting with the CM, he told us ‘B’ stands for ‘BJP’ and ‘Bidhayak’. He had hinted that any action against the MLA was unlikely,” said the woman’s uncle.
Adityanath on Monday pulled up Kuldeep and told him that police have started a fresh probe into the allegations of the woman and strict action will be taken against the guilty.
Kuldeep, meanwhile, rejected the charge as a conspiracy by opponents and said the complainant belonged to a “low class”, even as six policemen were suspended.
Talking to media persons after the cremation of her father, the woman demanded the inclusion of the MLA’s name in the FIR and said he should be arrested at the earliest.
The woman’s uncle said on June 4 last year, one of their neighbours took his niece (rape victim) to the MLA’s house assuring her a job. “The MLA and his supporters held her in captivity and raped her. My brother and I were in Delhi at that time,” he said.
“We tried to lodge an FIR of her disappearance but the police drove us away. Finally, a case was registered at Makhi police station on June 11, 2017, and the girl was recovered from Auraiya on June 20. Three men – Shubham Singh, Naresh Tewari and Brijesh Yadav – were arrested and sent to jail in the case. Her custody was not given to us and she was kept in a shelter home till June 30,” he said.
The woman’s uncle said till that time he was not aware about the MLA’s involvement in the rape. “The family shifted to Delhi about a month after the incident and started approaching the police and other authorities seeking action against the MLA,” he said.
“During this period, the MLA lodged an FIR against me for posting messages against him on social media and also filed a defamation case,” he added.
He said when they returned to Unnao on April 3 this year, the MLA’s brother (Atul) and his aides stormed into their house and took his brother (rape victim’s father) to the MLA’s house, which is barely 100 metres away.
“They tied my brother from a tree and hit him with the butt of guns and rods. We approached Makhi police station but our complaint was not entertained,” he said and added that instead of acting against the accused, the police lodged an FIR against his brother.
The woman’s uncle alleged that his brother was not provided any medical aid and was sent to jail where his condition deteriorated.
He said the post-mortem report of his brother also confirmed that he died of multiple internal injuries.
Meanwhile, the woman’s family was called to the residence of Unnao district magistrate Ravi Kumar, nearly 65 km from Lucknow.
The rape survivor’s uncle said the DM has assured them of a meeting with the CM. “Let us see what the state government and the police do now,” he said.