Unnao alleged rape: BJP MLA from Unnao Kuldip Singh Sengar. (PTI Photo)
On the day a Special Investigation Team (SIT) started the probe into the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in Unnao, a video surfaced Wednesday that purportedly shows the girl’s father saying he was assaulted by Sengar’s brother Atul in the presence of police. Her father died in custody days later, and the SIT said the video will now be part of the probe.
On Tuesday, Sengar’s brother Atul was the fifth person arrested in connection with the brutal assault on the girl’s father that led to his death the day before. While no FIR has been lodged against Sengar, the Allahabad High Court Wednesday sought a report from the UP government on the issue after taking cognizance of the case following a letter to the court by senior advocate G S Chaturvedi.
The bench of Chief Justice D B Bhosale and Justice Suneet Kumar also asked Advocate General Raghvendra Singh or an additional advocate general to be present at the hearing Thursday to apprise the court about the action taken. The HC ordered that the body of the girl’s father should not be cremated, unless done so already, sources said. Her father’s body was, however, cremated on Tuesday.
ADG (Lucknow zone) Rajeev Krishna told The Indian Express that the SIT visited Unnao where they spoke to the victim and her family. The SIT on Wednesday evening submitted a preliminary report to the DGP, which is expected to be sent to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Police force deployed outside BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar’s residence at Makhi village of Unnao district. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)
Krishna also said the video, Sengar’s brother and the role of the local police would be part of the probe. “We have not spoken to the MLA yet,” he said.
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In the video, the girl’s father is heard saying: “Vidhayak ke bhai ne maara hai. Police khadi rahi… maarte rahe. Police ne bachaya bhi nahi humko… bahut maara. Kuldeep ka bhai Atul Singh aur uske saath they chaar… Police khadi thi police bachayi nahi humko…. Maar ke jab adhmara kar diya tab humko yahan laaye (The MLA’s brother beat me up. The police were standing there while they kept beating me. Police did not rescue me… I was badly beaten. Kuldeep’s (Sengar) brother Atul and there were four others with him. The police did not help me. When I was half-dead they brought me here).”
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Speaking to The Indian Express, the girl’s uncle said: “The SIT spoke to us all separately about the whole sequence of events since June 4 last year. They also spoke to 4-5 villagers and recorded their statements. While leaving, the police officials told us that by evening they would tell us about the report. However, we are waiting for that.” A local court in Unnao is expected to hear on Thursday a petition by the girl’s mother requesting an FIR against Sengar.
The deserted village of Makhi, home of the girl who alleged rape by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)
Claiming her husband was innocent, Sengar’s wife, Sangeeta who is also the Unnao Zila panchayat chairperson, met the UP DGP in Lucknow and requested that her husband and the complainant be subjected to narco-analysis.
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“The media has already declared him a rapist. I want a narco test to be conducted on my husband and also on the girl and her uncle. I have all my sympathy with the girl. Her dignity is being tarnished and there is a political issue behind this. My husband is a pawn and there are protests everywhere. My husband is innocent. Do an investigation and don’t just declare him a rapist,” she said.