Unnao rape: FIR against BJP MLA, CM wants CBI probe

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh police on Thursday registered an FIR against BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in connection with the alleged gangrape of a minor girl in Unnao, hours after chief minister Yogi Adityanath said that he was recommending a CBI inquiry into the rape case and the custodial death of the victim’s father.

A decision on whether to arrest the accused MLA from the ruling party would be taken by the CBI once it takes over the probe, principal secretary (home) Arvind Kumar said. He also said that the SIT would continue its work of gathering evidence till the CBI formally takes over the case.

Mr Kumar said that the government had decided to transfer the case to the CBI after lodging an FIR into the incidents of June 4, 2017, (alleged rape) and since the two other cases of April 3 (cross FIRs on the beating up of the victim’s father leading to his death) are connected, they would also be transferred to the CBI.

The announcement on handing over the case to CBI came hours after an FIR was registered against Mr Sengar, who represents the Unnao Sadar Assembly constituency, under IPC Sections 363 (kidnapping), 366 (kidnapping, abduction or inducing woman to compel her marriage), 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) and Section 3 and 4 (penetrative sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act), 2012, at the Makhi police station.

According to Prakhar Singh, nephew of Mr Sengar, their family has welcomed the state government’s move to hand over the probe to the CBI in this case and has also demanded that a narco test be conducted on both the rape survivor and Mr Sengar.  

Director general of police O.P. Singh said that the case was being given to CBI to ensure transparency in investigations.

The government has also decided to extend security to the family of the 17-year-old girl, the DGP said.
 
The government decision to hand over the case to the CBI was taken after a special investigation team submitted its report to the chief minister late on Wednesday night.
 
An hour after the submission of the SIT report, TV channels started flashing news that Mr Sengar might be arrested soon. The MLA staged a midnight drama when he drove to the SSP office in a convoy of over 20 vehicles.

“I have come here to show that I am not on the run and willing to join the probe. I am here to tell the police and the people that I will follow the law and I am not a rapist. I believe in the judiciary. I need protection from false charges against me,” he said.

Meanwhile, the 10-page SIT report has shown that the local police had botched up the case to save the MLA’s brother in the custodial death of the victim’s father.

The SIT report said that a deeper probe into the role of jail staff and doctors is needed. “Once the matter is clear, more suspensions will follow,” ADG (law and order) Anand Kumar said.

The report did not rule out the possibility of the MLA’s brother beating up the victim’s father in police custody.

Principal secretary (home) Kumar said that, in all, three reports had been submitted to the government in the matter on Wednesday. One was the interim report submitted by the SIT team headed by ADG Rajiv Krishna after their Unnao visit on Wednesday.

A separate inquiry report of DIG (prison) Love Kumar on the role of the Unnao jail administration for the period of the detention of the rape victim’s father was also submitted in which it was found that jail officials did not shift him for medical assistance in time.

A third report had been obtained from Unnao district magistrate  on the lapses on the part of district hospital where the deceased was sent for examination before and during his detention.

The DGP continued to refer to the MLA as a “manniye” (honourable) and when asked, he said that the MLA was not a convict, merely an accused.

Meanwhile, the chief medical superintendent of the Unnao district hospital Dr D.K. Dwivedi and emergency medical officer Dr Prashant Upadhyaya have been placed under suspension.

Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against three more doctors namely ortho-surgeon Dr Manoj Kumar, surgeon Dr G.P. Sachan and emergency medical officer Dr Gaurav Agarwal for laxity in giving proper medical care and treatment to the rape survivor’s father, both prior to his judicial custody and on referral from jail while still under judicial custody.

Police circle officer of Safipur, Kunwar Bahadur Singh, has also been suspended for negligence in handling the repeated complaints given by the victim.