Uneasy calminUnnaovillage
A DAY AFTER Death of the alleged rape survivor’s father in judicial custody pushes the area into sudden silence LUCKNOW/UNNAO:
Deserted roads, villagers confined to their houses and heavy police force outside the alleged rape survivor’s house.
This was the scene in the survivor girl’s village in Unnao on Tuesday as an uneasy calm prevailed there after the death of the girl’s father in judicial custody on Monday morning.
Anger against BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brother Atul Singh Sengar, who were accused by the girl of raping her along with their aides, is simmering among villagers but nobody was ready to speak against him due to fear of the legislator and his henchmen.
The MLA’s sprawling house is barely a 100 metres from the survivor’s dilapidated house, where a heavy police force has been deputed after her father’s death to avert any further trouble. “Who will speak against ‘vidhayak ji’ (the MLA) when we have to spend our whole life in the same village,” said a local. He said he felt the matter was going to escalate as the girl’s family was not willing to surrender before the MLA.
“Enough police force, including provincial armed constabulary, has been deployed in the village to avert any trouble as well as safety of the victim’s family,” said Circle Officer (CO) of Safipur, Kunwar Bahadur Singh, who ahs been camping in the village since Monday.
The survivor’s family, too, is staying at a hotel in Unnao city since Monday and had not returned to the village till late Tuesday evening.
The survivor’s uncle said he received multiple calls from the MLA and his aides to settle the issue since the matter had been highlighted by the media. He said district magistrate of Unnao Ravi Kumar and superintendent of police Pushpanjali Devi have assured his and the family’s safety but he was being cautious and preferred staying in Unnao city area, around 20 km from his village.
He said he and his entire family will stay in Unnao city area and move to the village only after full safety is ensured.