HC raps UP govt for delay in arrest of accused

ALLAHABAD — The Allahabad High Court came down heavily on the Uttar Pradesh government today on the Unnao rape incident, asking it whether it proposes to arrest accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar.

A bench of Chief Justice D B Bhosale and Justice Suneet Kumar, taking cognisance of the gangrape case on a letter to the court by senior lawyer Gopal Swaroop Chaturvedi, heard the matter in detail and will pronounce its order Friday.

The court also questioned the conduct of the police in the case, saying whom will a victim approach to register a complaint.

The court asked the Advocate General whether the government proposes to arrest Sengar.

Singh said that he was not in a position to make any statement in this regard and police will proceed in accordance with law only after recording statements of the complainant and witnesses. The court referred to the SIT report and said, “according to it, medical officers and police officers, all were hand in glove with the accused to save them and you acted on this report against those officers but for arresting rape accused you need to do further investigation.”

“Police was not ready to register FIR of the minor rape victim. In spite of the SIT report, you are repeating that we can only take any action after further investigation, if this is the conduct of the police in state, whom will a victim approach to register a complaint. If this is the stand you are repeatedly taking, then we will be forced to observe in our order that law and order has collapsed in the state’,” it said.