Witness’s body exhumed; wife attempts suicide near CM house
KANPUR: The Unnao police on Saturday exhumed the body of Yunus Khan, a key witness in the alleged murder of Unnao rape victim’s father in April this year, amid strong opposition from the family.
Superintendent of police, Unnao, Harish Kumar said the entire process was carried out in his presence and recorded. “Shahr Qazi, Unnao, Maulana Nasir accompanied us. We are acting in accordance with law,” he said.
The cops informed Khan’s family that they had exhumed his body and sent it for post mortem and that they (family) should stop opposing the legal process.
However, Khan’s wife Shabeena and 13 other family members reached Lucknow, 65 km from Unnao, and she attempted to commit suicide near the chief minister’s residence in protest against exhumation of his body. The policemen stationed there foiled her suicide bid.
“Exhumation of the body has hurt our sentiments. It is against our tradition. Why are the police are not understanding that he (Khan) died at home and everyone in the village attended his funeral. There is nothing fishy or suspicious,” she said.
Suraj Yadav, sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), Hasangunj, said: “The autopsy is important to bring out the truth; they should not obstruct the process. We have given assurance that the body will again be buried with full honour and respect.”
On July 7, the CBI named BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar’s brother Atul in the charge-sheet in connection with the alleged murder of the rape victim’s father. Kuldeep Sengar is the accused in the rape case. Shabeena has blamed the rape victim’s uncle of twisting facts to build his case against the accused. She has also given in writing to the authorities that the victim’s uncle tried to lure her with a promise of Rs 8 lakh in bribe so that she does his bidding. She said her husband died of prolonged illness.
Earlier, many of Yunus’s family members and relatives signed a petition to the district magistrate Devesh Chandra Pandey to roll back his order to exhume the body.
The petition said Khan had died of liver related ailment on August 18 but the victim’s uncle, who is a history-sheeter, used the death to build his case.
During the talks with circle officer, Safipur, Vivek Ranjan Rai, Shabeena said she and even her husband weren’t aware that he was a witness and had deposed. The CBI, she said, never approached or informed them about the deposition.
Meanwhile, the rape victim’s uncle has claimed the Khan, who was a key witness in the murder of his brother, was poisoned to death.
Sources said the decision to exhume the body and get a post mortem done was taken following a tweet from Congress president Rahul Gandhi on the issue.
As the family got support from the village in the matter, the authorities sent religious scholars and influential Muslims to them to clear their doubts.
Meanwhile, an uneasy calm prevailed in the village and security was further beefed up as the cops feared some law and order problem.