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Unnao rape: Kuldeep Sengar detained by CBI

Uttar Pradesh DGP OP Singh on Thursday addressed a press conference in connection with the alleged rape of the girl by Sengar and said the CBI will decide on the arrest of the ‘honourable’ MLA.

Unnao rape: Kuldeep Sengar detained by CBI

[file photo]

Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the BJP MLA from in Unnao, was detained by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) early on Friday morning. The lawmaker is accused in the alleged rape of an 18-year-old girl.

An FIR was registered against Sengar in Makhi police station on Thursday. He was charged 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.

The case was later handed over to the CBI. The elite probe agency has filed three separate cases into the alleged rape and incidents following it.

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Sengar, who won the Bangarmau assembly seat in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh elections, has been claiming innocence even as the state government came under fire for not acting against the political strongman in spite of repeated accusations.

Even the FIR was filed after the orders came from the Yogi Adityanath government. The state government also ordered the handing over of the twin cases of rape and the custodial death of the victim’s father to the CBI.

Uttar Pradesh DGP OP Singh on Thursday addressed a press conference in connection with the alleged rape of the girl by Senger and said the CBI will decide on the arrest of the ‘honourable’ MLA.

“Now that the case has been given to CBI, they will decide on arrest. He has only been accused so far and not convicted,” said Singh.

Talking about the case, the DGP referred the accused MLA Sengar as “honourable” even as he assured the state administration had no intentions of sheltering the rape accused.

“Nobody is defending honourable MLA,” he claimed, adding, “All we are saying is that we have to hear both sides.”

On the same day the Allahabad High Court had pulled up the UP government over the delay in the arrest of the MLA.

The court was reportedly informed that an application containing rape allegations against the BJP MLA was sent to the CM’s office 17 August 2017. The application was subsequently forwarded to officials in Unnao for appropriate action.

The court was told that three people, including the brother of the MLA, had been arrested.

Taking a grim view of the police action on the complaint, the division bench comprising Chief Justice Dilip Babasaheb Bhosale and Justice Suneet Kumar told the government under the prevailing circumstances it will be “forced to observe in our order that law and order has collapsed in the state”.

On Wednesday a separate inquiry report was submitted by DIG (Prison) Love Kumar on the conduct of the Unnao jail officials during the detention of the victim’s father. The district magistrate of Unnao has also submitted a report to the state government on lapses on part of the district hospital. Based on the SIT report submitted by ADG Lucknow Zone Rajeev Krishna, the BJP-led state government has decided to suspend Chief Medical Officer DK Dwivedi and EMO Prashant Upadhyay.

“Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against three doctors namely Manoj Kumar (orthosurgeon), GP Sachan (surgeon) and Gaurav Agrawal (EMO) for laxity in giving proper medical care to the victim’s father, both prior to judicial custody and on referral from jail to the district hospital while in judicial custody,” said the statement.

“Circle Officer Safipur, Kunwar Bahadur Singh has been suspended for negligence in handling the repeated complaints given by the victim,” it said. The state government has also ordered to provide adequate security to the victim and her family.

An 18-year-old girl had created flutters after she accused the BJP MLA of raping her. She tried to immolate herself in front of the CM’s residence, seeking justice. Her father was arrested and later died in custody.

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