BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar along with his associates clash with media outside SSP office in Lucknow. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)
The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to hand over the cases of alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl in Unnao and the subsequent death of her father in judicial custody to the CBI after the Special Investigation Team submitted its report on Wednesday evening. The Yogi Adityanath-led government, which has drawn flak from all quarters over the case, has also asked police to lodge an FIR against accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and others. The SIT also submitted a video that purportedly shows the girl’s father saying he was assaulted by Sengar’s brother Atul in the presence of police. 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.
Apart from the SIT report submitted by Lucknow ADG Rajeev Krishna, the government received two other enquiry reports from DIG (prison) Love Kumar on the role of Unnao jail administration in handling the victim’s father and a separate report from Unnao district magistrate on the lapses on part of the government hospital.
Police force outside BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh’s residence at Makhi village of Unnao district. (Express photo)
The government also suspended two doctors – DK Dwivedi and Prashant Upadhyay – and initiated disciplinary proceedings against three of them – Dr Manoj Kumar, Dr G P Sachan and Dr Gaurav Agrawal – for laxity in giving proper medical care and treatment to the victim’s father prior to judicial custody and at the district hospital.
READ | Vidhayak ke bhai ne maara, police khadi rahi: Unnao rape victim’s father in video before death
On April 3, the girl’s father was arrested in an Arms Act case and also booked under charges relating to voluntarily causing hurt, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace. Unnao district jail superintendent A K Singh had said the girl’s father was handed over to police after he was allegedly beaten by four supporters of the MLA and their unidentified associates.
READ | DM has confined me to a room, says victim; MLA’s wife alleges case politically motivated
“On April 5, he complained of stomach ache and vomiting. We called the district hospital physician who came to the jail on April 6 and gave him medicines. They also asked us to conduct his blood, urine and ultrasound tests, for which we again took him to the district hospital on April 7. Since the physician did not find anything serious, he was brought back to the jail the same evening,” Singh had said. The next day, the victim’s father again complained of abdominal pain and vomiting. “His blood pressure too was very low, so the jail doctor asked us to take him to the district hospital. He was admitted there around 8.45 pm. But he passed away at 3.45 am next day,” he had said.
Kuldeep Singh Sengar at Lucknow SSP office on Wednesday. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)
Circle Officer of Safipur, Kunwar Bahadur Singh, was also suspended for negligence in handling the repeated complaints given by the Unnao rape victim. The alleged rape case came into the limelight after the victim tried to immolate herself outside Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s residence on Sunday after alleging police inaction against the BJP MLA.
(With inputs from ENS)