SIT probing gang rape case faces protests in Unnao village

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe the alleged rape of an 18-year-old woman and the death of her father in judicial custody, reached the survivor’s village Makhi in Unnao district on Wednesday, officials said.

The team spoke to the survivor and her family amid a show of strength that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker, who is the main accused in the gang rape case, allegedly put up in the village.

Thousands of people from different parts of the district poured in to the village minutes before the SIT’s arrival. They staged a protest and showed placards, claiming the MLA was innocent.

The police had a tough time enabling the SIT to reach the survivor’s house, people in the area said.

The SIT, headed by additional director general (Lucknow zone) Rajiv Krishna, reached the Makhi police station at 10.25am. After speaking to officials for about 20 minutes, the team

headed for the village, nearly a km away.

During their two-hour stay, the SIT spoke to the survivor and other family members. Security was extremely tight and nobody was allowed within 100 metresof the interrogation.

The team visited the spot, where the alleged rape survivor’s father was allegedly assaulted on April 3. The officials also spoke to the 18-year-old woman’s neighbours.

The MLA’s ancestral home is about 60 metres from the alleged rape survivor’s residence.

The people who the SIT spoke to refused to comment.

The team later went to Unnao town and questioned six doctors at the district hospital. Three of these had conducted the postmortem on the girl’s father.

The others included a doctor, who first examined and admitted him to a hospital on April 9 when he was brought from the district jail, and two who treated him during the night.

ADG (Lucknow) Rajiv Krishna said the teamwould submit an interim report to the government by late Wednesday evening.

Locals said it appeared the news of the SIT’s arrival was leaked well in advance and the MLA’s team managed to bring in a large number of supporters. People were brought in from Bhagwant Nagar, Bangarmau and Unnao Sadar, the three assembly constituencies that Kuldeep Sengar has represented in his career, they said.

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