UNNAO: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) detained Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar early on Friday morning for questioning in connection with the alleged gang rape of a 16-year-old girl in Unnao. An FIR was lodged against the rape accused BJP MLA on Thursday under sections 363 (kidnapping), 366 (abduction of woman), 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the case was handed over to the CBI.
Sengar has maintained his innocence and claimed that he has been framed in the gangrape case. Uttar Pradesh police’s failure to arrest Sengar was noticed by the Allahabad High Court too, which on Thursday asked why the accused BJP MLA had not been arrested. The court also observed that based on the prevailing situation, it would be compelled to say in its order that the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh has collapsed.
While the HC will pronounce its order on Friday, it has taken a grim view of how police acted on the complaint made by the rape survivor.
“Police was not ready to register FIR of the minor rape victim. In spite of the SIT report, you are repeating that you can only take any action after further investigation,” the court said. “If this is the conduct of the police in the 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’.”
The teen, from Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district, had accused the MLA and his associates of raping her in June 2017. The family of the victim had also alleged that the accused MLA’s brother, Atul Singh Sengar, had thrashed the victim’s father on April 3 for refusing to withdraw the FIR over the rape. On April 9, the victim’s father died in police custody. Up to six police personnel have also suspended for allegedly beating up the victim’s father.
The victim’s father died just a day after the rape victim, along with her family members, tried to commit suicide in front of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s residence in Lucknow on April 8. The victim’s father was thereafter taken into police custody from the location. However, on April 9, he was admitted to a hospital after complaining about abdominal pain and vomiting and subsequently died there.
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