A man named Nawab Singh Yadav has been arrested for allegedly attempting to rape a minor girl in Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj district. The incident occurred in the Sadar Kotwali area, where the former block chief is accused of committing the crime. The girl, who is a minor, is approximately 15 years old. As the accused was alleged to be close to Kannauj MP and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party (SP) firmly distanced itself from him.
Kannauj Superintendent of Police (SP) Amit Kumar Anand provided details of the incident, stating, "Last night around 1.30 am, a call was received on UP 112 wherein a girl said that she had been stripped, and an attempt of assault had been made on her. Kannauj Police reached the spot immediately. The girl was rescued, and the accused Nawab Singh Yadav was arrested in an objectionable condition. During questioning, the girl said that she arrived at the residence of Nawab Singh Yadav along with her paternal aunt. She was told that she had to be there for a job", as reported by news agency ANI.
A case has been registered under sections of the POCSO Act, and further investigation is underway.
In the wake of his arrest, Nawab Singh Yadav claimed, "This is a conspiracy by capitalists. The victim is denying but despite that, medical tests are being done six times. We will continue to fight against injustice."
Advocate Naveen Kumar Dubey informed that Nawab Yadav was remanded to jail for 14 days, ANI reported.
ALSO READ | UP Constable Held For 'Threatening To Abduct And Kill Family Member In Bid To Extort Rs 1 Crore'
Samajwadi Party Says Nawab Singh Yadav Was Never A Member, BJP Accuses It Of Shielding Him
The Samajwadi Party has taken steps to distance itself from Yadav. Kannauj District President Kaleem Khan stated that Nawab Singh Yadav is not affiliated with the Samajwadi Party. He has been involved in anti-party activities for approximately five years and was never a primary or active member of the party, ANI reported.
An official party statement emphasised, "It is important to clarify that Nawab Singh Yadav, son of Chandan Singh Yadav, resident of Addangapur, is not a member of the Samajwadi Party. Despite attempts to link him with the party, he has been engaged in anti-party activities for years and is not connected with us in any capacity."
On the other hand, BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi accused the SP of shielding its leaders, stating, "Nawab Singh Yadav is not just any SP leader; he has been a representative of MP Dimple Yadav. Under SP's policy of 'boys will be boys,' such crimes are consistently covered up. First, it was Ayodhya's Moeed Khan, and now it's Kannauj's Nawab Singh Yadav. This is the true character of the SP."
With Inputs By Nitya Mishra