BJP MLA’S kin arrested; SIT probe ordered
The police on Tuesday arrested Atul Singh, brother of a BJP MLA, in connection with the gangrape of an 18-year-old woman and the custodial death of her father in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district, as a SIT was formed to probe the incident.
A plea was also moved in the Supreme Court for a CBI probe in the matter.
“The Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Additional Director General (ADG) of Police (Lucknow zone) will go into the entire gamut of issues involved in the incident,” ADG (Law and Order) Anand Kumar told a press conference here.
The victim has alleged that she was raped by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brothers, and blamed the lawmaker for her father’s death.
The BJP MLA, however, has rejected the charges as a “conspiracy” by his opponents.
Kumar also clarified that the death of the victim’s father did not take place in police custody.
The victim’s father died in custody in Unnao on Monday, prompting the woman to charge that he was killed inside the district jail at the behest of the BJP MLA. Commenting on the death of the victim’s father, Chief medical officer of Unnao, SP Chaudhary, said, “Shock and septicemia may have caused the death due to peritonitis (inflammation of the lining of the inner wall of the abdomen)”. “How colon perforation happened and where it happened is a matter of judicial inquiry,” he said.
Earlier, four persons -Sonu, Baua, Vinit and Shailu --were arrested for allegedly beating up the woman’s father.
The victim’s father was arrested on April 5 under the Arms Act after he was allegedly beaten up by the MLA’S brother.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday sent a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government and the state police chief seeking a detailed report on the incident.
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 an alleged gangrape victim 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 National Human Rights Commission observed that the allegations, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of the victim family.
It has issued notice to the chief secretary and the director general of police of Uttar Pradesh, seeking a detailed report, including action taken against the "delinquent police officials", who refused to register an FIR.
"The NHRC also expects from the DGP, an explanation for not communicating the custodial death to the commission within 24 hours. All the reports, including health screening report of the deceased at the time of his admission in the jail and medical treatment provided by the jail authorities, are to be sent," the rights panel said in a statement.
They have been given four weeks to respond, it said.
The commission said it has also directed the chief secretary to "look into the matter personally and ensure that the aggrieved family is not subjected to further harassment and humiliation by the opponents who appear to be resourceful persons of the locality".
"He (chief secretary) is also directed to monitor and expedite the magisterial inquiry which is underway," it added.
The man, aged around 50, was rushed to a hospital from the district jail on April 8 night and died during treatment yesterday, an officials said. He was arrested on April 5 under the Arms Act, they added.
Significantly, a case had been registered against four persons a few days ago on a complaint by the wife of the deceased that he was beaten up.