The Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday booked Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, his brother Manoj Singh Sengar and eight others on murder charges in connection with the car crash the Unnao rape complainant got into in Rae Bareli district on Sunday afternoon, Hindustan Times reported. Sengar is lodged in Sitapur district jail at present.
According to the first information report, the personnel in charge of the complainant’s security had informed Sengar of her movements, NDTV reported. Earlier in the day, Director General of Police OP Singh had said there was no negligence in the security provided to the complainant. “Due to lack of space in her vehicle, she requested the security personnel deputed for security not to accompany her to Rae Bareli yesterday,” he had added. Unnao Superintendent of Police Madhav Prasad Verma also confirmed that the security officer who usually accompanies the family was not with them on Sunday.
The FIR was registered at the Guru Baksh Ganj police station of Rae Bareli after a complaint made by the woman’s uncle, who is lodged in Rae Bareli district jail, according to News18. The uncle accused Sengar’s supporters of making calls to the woman’s family and putting pressure on them to change their statement in court. “I am sure that the car was hit for killing all of them by the BJP MLA and his men,” The Indian Express quoted him as saying.
“FIR has been registered under the Indian Penal Code’s sections 302 [murder], 307 [attempt to murder], 506 [criminal intimidation], 120b [criminal conspiracy] against 10 named persons, including the BJP MLA, and 15 to 20 others,” an unidentified police officer told The Indian Express.
The 19-year-old complainant, who had accused the legislator of rape last year, and her lawyer are undergoing treatment at the trauma centre of King George’s Medical University in Lucknow. They are in serious condition, while two of the complainant’s aunts died in the same crash. The woman’s family has alleged that Sengar and his associates planned the car crash.
Several members of the Opposition have criticised the ruling BJP government after the incident with the Congress demanding that the Supreme Court take note of the accident and intervenes in the rape case. While Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a dig at the Centre’s “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” scheme, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati alleged a conspiracy behind the crash.
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