Unnao rape survivor demands MLA’s immediate arrest, says she fears for her uncle’s life

Mangalore Today News Network

Uttar Pradesh, Apr 12, 2018 : A 17-year-old girl, who has accused Uttar Pradesh BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar of raping her in 2017, said on Thursday the politician should be arrested immediately for her uncle’s safety.

 

Her comments came after the Uttar Pradesh government said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will decide the course of action against Sengar after he was formally charged in the case late Wednesday.

“We have no objection to the inquiry but he should be arrested first ... Why is he being shielded?” she told reporters.

The girl alleged that her father was roughed up by Atul Singh, the MLA’s brother, and his aides on April 3 and was arrested by the police in evening. He died on April 9, hours after he collapsed in prison where he had been detained.

“I just want their arrest first, then the CBI probe should be done ... If they are out, they will not spare my uncle. When they have already killed my father, what doubt is there?” she was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

“Only when he is arrested, I will be satisfied and I will be able to say that the BJP government is doing justice,” the teenager added.

Read | In midnight drama, Unnao BJP lawmaker Kuldeep Sengar meets police, says have done no wrong

The girl broke down in tears and lost consciousness after that, the news agency reported.

“I will get justice only if CBI investigates the case with honesty. How will I get justice if they don’t investigate honestly?” she said later.

The state government announced the central agency will investigate the charges against Sengar after allegations that the state police had botched up.

The Allahabad high court on Thursday questioned the Uttar Pradesh government’s approach in handling the case, asking its counsel why Sengar was not arrested even after being charged.

It has also asked the counsel to clarify whether the government would arrest him and sought a reply after lunch.

The FIR against Sengar, who represents the Bangarmau constituency in the Uttar Pradesh assembly, was registered at Makhi police station in Unnao and he was charged with rape, criminal intimidation and kidnapping of a minor girl.

The stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, was also slapped on him under which an accused has to be arrested immediately after a case has been filed.

Read | Unnao rape survivor alleges magistrate confined her to hotel room, says was not even given water

“Nobody is defending him (Kuldeep Singh Sengar). All we are saying is that we have to hear both sides. Now that the case has been given to the CBI, they will decide on arrest,” the state’s director general of police OP Singh said.

“If any evidence is found, the CBI will take a call if the accused has to be arrested or not,” Singh said at a press conference in Lucknow.

Arvind Kumar, principal secretary (home), said the Uttar Pradesh Police’s special investigation team will handle the case till the central agency takes over.

The officials said Sengar was not booked earlier as the teenager had not mentioned his name in the statement given before the magistrate. They added the case was registered after the girl and her family told the special investigation team, which visited them on Wednesday, that they had not named him so far because they were scared.

They assured that no one will be spared if found guilty and added that action has already been taken against some policemen and doctors for laxity and negligence.

The demands to arrest Sengar grew shriller as social workers and oppostion parties organised protests on Thursday. They questioned the reluctance on the part of the state police to arrest him despite allegations of rape and the registration of the first information report.

The girl, who tried to immolate herself outside chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s house just a day before her 50-year-old father died on Monday, has alleged that she was confined to a hotel room by the district administration, leaving her “without a phone or water and guards at every corner”.


courtesy:HT