LUCKNOW : The Uttar Pradesh government has handed over the twin cases of the alleged rape of an 18-year-old woman and the custodial death of her father in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao to the CBI even as the ruling BJP tries to distance itself from the charges against its MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar.

The MLA was booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and POCSO at Unnao’s Makhi Police Station on Thursday morning. The decision to handover the case to the CBI was taken late on Wednesday, hours after the BJP MLA made a dramatic appearance before the police but refused to surrender.

The Special Investigation Team is learnt to have come across circumstantial evidence that appears to support some of the allegations levelled by the girl’s family.

“An FIR be lodged under appropriate sections considering the allegations of rape levied on MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and others and the investigation be handed over to CBI,” the Principal Secretary (Information) had said in an statement. “Investigation in to cross cases pertaining to incidents leading to the death of the victim’s father be also handed over to the CBI.”

The decisions were taken after the Special Investigation Team constituted under ADG olice (Lucknow zone) to look into the matter submitted its report to the government.
The development came hours after the Allahabad High Court sought the Yogi Adityanath-led state government’s stand on the incident on a letter to the court by senior lawyer Gopal Swaroop Chaturvedi detailing the case and posted the matter for hearing tomorrow.

Meanwhile, in a dramatic late night development, Sengar made a surprise appearance outside the Lucknow SSP’s residence, triggering speculatio n that he might surrender, but left the place without handing himself over to the police.”I came here to show to the media that I am not absconding, and I am very much in Lucknow. I am here, tell me what to do,” he told reporters.He said, “I am a disciplined BJP worker. I am innocent. I am being implicated.”
BJP MLA from Bairia in Ballia district Surendra Singh made a shocking remark while defending Sengar. He said, “Tell me who will rape a mother of three? He is being falsely implica ted.”Earlier in the day, Sangeeta Sengar, the wife of the accused MLA demanded narco tests on her husband and also the 18-year-old victim, who alleged confinement by local authorities.
The Congress latched on to the case to hit out at the BJP government with party president Rahul Gandhi wondering if Prime Minister Narendra Modi would observe a fast on the alleged rape and death of the complainant’s father in custody, which he said “has shamed humanity”.
The victim, who had tried to immolate herself outside the chief minister’s house just a day before her 50-year-old father died on Monday, alleged that she has been confined to a hotel room by the district administration, leaving her “without a phone or water and guards at every corner”.
She also accused the MLA’s brother and their henchmen of killing her elder uncle earlier. “I want justice, why are they putting pressure on me for an apology? Do they want my (another) uncle to be killed too?” she told TV channels.
A purported video of the alleged rape survivor’s father before his death also went viral and was shown by several TV channels, in which he alleged that he was mercilessly beaten up by the MLA’s brother and others, including with rifle butts. It also showed the deceased person’s back with serious wounds, but its veracity could not be ascertained.
In the state capital, Sangeeta Sengar, the wife of the accused MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, told reporters after meeting state police chief O P Singh that there was a political conspiracy against her family and accused the complainant of not being consistent in her statements.
“We demand that a narco test be conducted on my husband and the girl as well as her uncle. This will help in ascertaining the truth and presenting the correct picture. “My husband is innocent and it is my request that he should not be called a rapist. “The government doesn’t want to save anyone,” asserted UP police chief OP Singh, referring to the accused politician as a “maananiya vidhayak (respected legislator)”.
The teen from Unnao, around 50 km from Lucknow, has accused the legislator of raping her in June last year. Though the lawmaker has been charged under a tough law for sexual crimes against children, he will not be arrested just yet.
“Why should we arrest him? We have mentioned his name in the FIR (First Information Report). Now, CBI can take over the investigation,” the police chief said.State Home Secretary Arvind Kumar added, “The charges against vidhayak-ji will be investigated. If there is any merit in them, then action will be taken.” (With Agency Inputs ).

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