Budaun case: Charge sheet of rape, murder filed against priest
THE CHARGE SHEET WAS FILED ON THE BASIS OF FORENSIC REPORTS, MOBILE LOCATION OF THE ACCUSED AND CCTV FOOTAGE
LUCKNOW: Nearly one-and-ahalf month after a 50-year-old Anganwadi worker was allegedly murdered on a temple premises in Budaun district, the police on Wednesday filed a charge sheet of rape and murder against the main accused, a priest, while dropping the gangrape charges against the priest and his two aides. The incident had taken place in Ughaiti area of Budaun district on January 3 this year.
“The main accused Satya Narain was charged with murder and rape under Sections 302 (murder) and 376 (rape) of Indian Penal Code (PIC) following our investigation. His aides Vedram Pal and Jaspal who were co-accused in the case have been accused of hiding evidence under Section 201 of the IPC,” said Budaun senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sankalp Sharma.
The officer added that the charge sheet was filed on the basis of forensic reports, mobile location of the accused at the time of the crime and CCTV footage of the hospital where the accused took the victim after she allegedly fell into the well.
“The investigation revealed that the aides reached the temple after the incident which rules out any possibility of gangrape. It was found that the deceased did fall into the well. Marks of resistance were also found in the post-mortem investigation. There was strong forensic evidence of sexual assault against the priest. We will try to take the case for hearing in a fast-track court,” said the SSP.
The woman, a resident of Kywali village, died under mysterious circumstances when she went to pray at a temple on the outskirts of the village on
January 3.
Priest Satya Narain, 53, and his aides Jaspal and Vedram Pal were booked for gang rape and murder in the FIR lodged on January 5. The three accused were subsequently arrested. As per police sources, Narain is a native of Aonla area of Bareilly district.
He moved to Budaun seven years ago and started living in the temple.
As per the police complaint, the woman went to the temple on January 3 afternoon and did not return.
Later in the night, the priest and his two aides brought her body to her house in a sports utility vehicle (SUV) and informed her family members that she fell into the dry well on the temple premises. They then left the place in a hurry.
The family members, however, informed police and the body was taken for a post-mortem examination. The post-mortem report confirmed rape. The woman suffered a rib fracture and her left lung was also damaged due to use of heavy force, the post-mortem report said.