‘Rape’ victim delivers baby,seeks DNA test for justice

The 33-year-old unmarried woman,who delivered the baby at Vatsalya hospital,said: “Either of the two could be the father of the child. They sexually exploited me and,when I tried to get justice,the authorities did not help me. I am determined to get justice. That is why I decided to have the child,” said the woman.

The woman’s brother,Arun Kushwaha,said she had been putting up in a house in Shankargarh area of Allahabad out of fear of the accused. She is a resident of Bargarh in Chitrakoot. The former minister,too,belongs to Chitrakoot. On Monday,he could not be reached for comment.

The woman’s case had come to light when she was found unconscious outside the residence of Chitrakoot SP on October 16,2011. After her complaint,the minister’s PA was arrested and is still in jail. The BSP government,however,dismissed the charge against the former minister.

One Mahendra Kumar Oberoi alias Gulati,who claimed to have seen the woman lying unconscious near the SP’s residence then,and now a close associate of the family,said: “Prasad and Singh had been exploiting her since 2006-07. She was forced to go for abortion four times. When the Chitrakoot police brought her to Allahabad for treatment,the authorities tried to deny that she was pregnant. But later,doctors at Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital confirmed the pregnancy.’’

SP (Crime) Alok Pandey said he was not aware of the latest development. “The investigation was transferred from Banda to Allahabad recently and the matter is at present being handled by the Kotwali police station. They will take all necessary steps,including collection of evidence and getting the statement of the woman recorded before the magistrate. The process for DNA test too would be initiated as per norms.”

In October last year,the Chitrakoot police had registered an FIR following the disclosures made by the woman. Singh was arrested and sent to jail in this connection. The woman had named the minister in her statement before a magistrate on October 19.

The then BSP government had,however,strongly defended Daddu Prasad,saying the charges against him were politically motivated. It had questioned why the woman kept quiet for long and why did she not name the minister in the FIR.