The Uttar Pradesh police have initiated an investigation against a BJP MLA from Unnao after a woman from the district accused him of gang-raping her along with his accomplices last June.
The case came to light after the woman, along with her family members, threatened to commit suicide outside the residence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday, alleging that the police refused to take action against the MLA despite her complaints and applications.
According to the victim, Kuldeep Singh Sengar, Bangermau MLA, raped her on June 17, 2017, and all her attempts to get justice bore no fruit as his influence prevented police from acting against him. She said that despite her efforts, the police did not register a case against the legislator.
Faces threat
“When I protested against the rape, he threatened me that he would get my family members killed,” the woman told local television channels.
Rajiv Krishnan, Additonal Director-General of Police, Lucknow, said both the allegations made by the woman were of a “serious nature”, and so the case was being shifted from Unnao to Lucknow for a fair investigation.
Inspector General, Lucknow Range, would carry out the investigation.
Mr. Krishnan said that the woman had alleged that her father was thrashed by people sent by the accused on April 4, but a case was lodged against the victim instead. The accused, however, lodged a counter FIR against the woman’s family.
The officer said that after talking to both sides it was found that there was a dispute between the two parties over the past 10 to 12 years, with cases registered against each other.
Alleges conspiracy
Mr. Sengar dismissed the allegations of gang rape, saying it was “a conspiracy” against him.
According to the Unnao police, on the complaint of the woman, a case was registered at the Mankhi police station under Sections 363 (kidnapping) and 366 (kidnapping a woman to compel her for marriage) of the Indian Penal Code on June 20, 2017.
After an investigation, the police added Section 376 D (gang rape) of the IPC and Section 3/4 of the POSCO Act to the case.
Three accused, Shubham Singh, Brijesh Yadav Awadh Narayan, were arrested following this. The charge sheet was also submitted in court.
