Raebareli: Police and people stand near the wreckage of the car in which the Unnao rape survivor was travelling during its collision with a truck near Raebareli, Sunday, July 28, 2019. (PTI Photo)
Unnao Case Live Highlights: Two days after the Unno rape survivor met with an accident, Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday constituted a Special Investigation Team to probe into the matter. The team will go into all the aspects and probe the incident till the CBI takes over the probe, a senior officer said. Meanwhile, BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh today said that Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the accused, was suspended from the party long ago. The state BJP chief further clarified that Sengar still remains suspended from the party.
The victim, who had accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar of sexually assaulting her in 2017, and her lawyer were critically injured and two of her aunts were killed when the car in which they were travelling collided with a truck in Rae Bareli on Sunday. The woman’s uncle has accused Sengar of planning the accident and alleged that the truck owner is an associate of the MLA.
Echoes of the case were, meanwhile, heard in Parliament as well. The Opposition is trying to corner the government in Lok Sabha over the case. The BJP, however, is yet to take visible action against its MLA. A BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh said: “The party has to take action against the MLA. There is no other way. The delay is damaging the image of the party and its leaders.”
Police personnel deployed at the village of the Unnao rape victim on Monday. (Express photo: Vishal Srivastav)
Highlights
Two days after Unnao rape survivor and her lawyer was left severely injured and two of her aunts killed in a road accident, the Central government on Tuesday ordered CBI to take over the case.
With the rape survivor battling for life, the issue echoed in the Parliament on Tuesday, with the Opposition stepping up its attack on the Uttar Pradesh government for giving “political protection” to its MLA, Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the main accused in the case. READ MORE
Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding the expulsion of rape-accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar from the party. In the letter, also addressed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP working president J P Nadda, Maliwal also sought the MLA's expulsion from the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. Sengar was arrested on April 13 last year for allegedly raping a minor girl at his residence in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district.
The jailed MLA and nine others were booked for murder on Monday, a day after the car in which the 19-year-old rape survivor, her family and lawyer were travelling was hit by a speeding truck in Rae Bareli. Two of the victim's aunts were killed in the crash while she and her advocate were critically injured. In her letter, Maliwal alleged that the demand to sack Sengar had so far fallen on deaf ears. (PTI)
Two days after the Unnao rape survivor met with an accident, the Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday constituted a Special Investigation Team to probe into the incident. The lawyer of the rape survivor was critically injured and her two aunts were killed in Raebareli on Sunday. "We have constituted a SIT headed by Additional Superintendent of Police Raebareli Shahi Shekhar to probe into the mishap in Raebareli on Sunday," IG (Law and Order) Praveen Kumar told reporters in Lucknow. (PTI)
The BJP-RSS combine is flagrantly using its power to silence opponents, the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) alleged on Tuesday, terming the accident involving the Unnao rape victim a "murder".
In a statement, the AIDWA listed the circumstances in which the Rae Bareli accident occurred that left the rape survivor and her lawyer seriously injured and two family members dead.
"It is shocking that the police who have been posted to protect her informed imprisoned BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar of her travel plans, as alleged in the FIR. The accused has been giving them death threats on phone calls from jail for not withdrawing the case," it said. (PTI)
Several women's rights organisations on Tuesday staged a protest outside the Uttar Pradesh Bhavan here, demanding justice for the Unnao rape survivor and slamming the state government's "laxity" in dealing with the case. The case pertains to the alleged rape of a minor girl by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar at his residence in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao in 2017.
The protest comes days after the 19-year-old rape survivor, who was travelling with her family, was critically injured on Sunday when a speeding truck hit her car in Rae Bareli district. The protesters demanded an impartial probe into the case and raised slogans against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led state government. They held placards that read: "Give Justice to Unnao Rape Victim".
Calling for Sengar's expulsion from the BJP, activist Annie Raja said everyone was aware of what happened to the Unnao rape survivor and it could not have happened without the active support of the Yogi government. (PTI)
Opposition Congress, BSP and SP on Tuesday accused the ruling BJP of "extending patronage" to party MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who has been accused of raping a minor girl. Jailed BJP MLA Sengar and nine others were booked for murder on Monday, a day after the car in which the 19-year old rape survivor, her family and lawyer were travelling was hit by a speeding truck in Rae Bareli, killing two members and leaving her and the advocate critically injured.
The Unnao rape survivor's family filed a complaint, alleging "conspiracy" behind the Sunday's car crash. In a tweet, BSP president Mayawati said, "The meeting of BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj with the rape-accused BJP MLA in jail proved that the raped accused are continuously getting the patronage of the ruling BJP...The Supreme Court needs to take cognizance of it." (PTI)
Days after the Unnao rape survivor met with an accident, former Uttar Pradesh governor and senior BJP leader Ram Naik on Tuesday said it would be "unfair" to judge the state on the basis of one case. The 19-year-old woman, who was allegedly raped by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar at his residence in 2017, was travelling with her family on Sunday when their car was hit by a speeding truck in the northern state's Rae Bareli district.
Two of her family members were killed in the accident while she and her lawyer were critically injured. The woman's family has filed a complaint alleging "conspiracy" behind the car crash. "Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has already agreed to a CBI inquiry into the case. The truth in the Unnao case will come out soon. It would be unfair to form an opinion about the entire state based on a single case," Naik said.
He claimed organised crimes in Uttar Pradesh had come down in the past five years, and the rest would also be reined in considerably in the coming days. The Unnao rape case had come to light after the victim allegedly attempted self-immolation outside Adityanath's residence. Sengar was arrested on April 13 last year. After Sunday's incident, he and nine others were booked for murder. (PTI)
UP BJP Chief Swatantra Dev Singh today said that Unnao rape accused Kuldeep Singh Sengar was suspended from the party and will remain suspended. CBI inquiry in the case is underway, he said.
The Allahabad High Court has granted one-day parole to the victim's uncle Mahesh Singh to attend the last rites of his wife who was allegedly killed in the road accident, PTI reported.
The Lucknow bench directed the jail superintendent and district authorities to ensure that Singh is taken for the cremation at Gangaghat in tight security. Justice Mohammad F A Khan directed officials to bring Singh back to the jail by the evening after the cremation.
The Parliament too witnesses protests and sloganeering by Opposition parties including Congress, Trinamool Congress, BSP and DMK over the Unnao rape incident.
The BJP Union Minister assured the Lok Sabha that the Uttar Pradesh government is taking measures to ensure justice for the girl and her family and urged the Opposition parties not to politicise the matter. The Opposition parties, however, walked out of the House. More than 30 members of Parliament were in Well, for the first 40 minutes and were heard shouting 'we want justice'.
Minister of State for Rural Development Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti informed the House that the truck belonged to a worker of the Samajwadi Party. Singing a similar tune, BJP leader Jagdambika Pal claimed the truck that hit the car -- in which the girl, her family members and lawyers were travelling -- belonged to a Samajwadi Party leader. He also alleged that the Congress was trying to tarnish the image of the BJP. While in the Speaker's Chair, BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi requested the opposition to be constructive and said that the CBI is already probing the case. She told Chowdhury that they were indulging in politics over the issue. "Whatever is the truth, it will come out," she said and urged protesting members to go back to their seats.
BSP chief Mayawati accused the BJP of "extending patronage" to party MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar saying that the Sakshi Maharaj met the accused and urged the Supreme Court to take cognisance of the same.
"The meeting of BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj with the rape-accused BJP MLA in jail proved that the raped accused are continuously getting the patronage of the ruling BJP...The Supreme Court needs to take cognizance of it, " Mayawati wrote on Twitter.
Drawing attention to victim's uncle, Mayawati called it "inhuman' to not release him on parole for last rites of the two aunts.
"After the suspicious murder of the family members of the Unnao rape survivor, the uncle not being released on parole for last rites is most inhuman and only proved the collusion of the UP government. The relatives are sitting on dharna at the medical college for parole. The government needs to pay attention," she wrote.
Uttar Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma said the court took a decision in connection with the victim's uncle, who was lodged in the Raebareli jail, and he will come and take part in the cremation of the two aunts, according to ANI. He said the government stands with the family of the victims, while visiting the KGMU hospital in Lucknow, where the victim has been admitted.
"Government is with the family of the victim, FIR has been registered as they said. The family had submitted parole application for the uncle of the victim, the court has taken a decision, he will come & take part in cremation," ANI quoted Sharma as saying.
Earlier this month, the Unnao rape victim wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi requesting to "take action against those who are making threats", ANI reported.
In a letter dated July 12, 2019, the victim mentioned, "People came to my house and threatened to take back cases, otherwise, whole family will be put in jail in fake cases," according to ANI.
Read more here
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to divest Kuldeep Sengar and his brother of their political powers stating the FIR against Sengar mentions the possibility of a planned accident. "Why do we give people like Kuldeep Sengar the strength and protection of political power and abandon their victims to battle for their lives alone? This FIR clearly states that the family was threatened and apprehensive. It even mentions the possibility of a planned accident," Priyanka wrote on Twitter.
<script async
Welcome to our live blog! For latest updates, follow this space.