Centre okays CBI probe in Unnao rape case

The Centre on Thursday approved a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged gang rape of a woman by a BJP legislator and others in Uttar Pradesh and the death of her father in police custody.

BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Senger (Photo: PTI/File)

LUCKNOW: The Centre on Thursday approved a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged gang rape of a woman by a BJP legislator and others in Uttar Pradesh and the death of her father in police custody. The case came into the limelight after the victim tried to immolate herself last Sunday outside UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence alleging police inaction against rape accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar. Later the rape victim’s father Pappu Singh succumbed to injuries after being allegedly beaten up by Sengar’s supporters. Police had on Tuesday arrested Sengar's brother Atul Singh and four of his aides -- Baua, Vineet, Shailu and Sonu for beating the girl's father to death. Allahabad High Court on Thursday rebuked the UP government for being tardy in arresting BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, despite an FIR against him. The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday sought the state government's stand on the Unnao gangrape case allegedly involving a BJP MLA and his aides and details of action taken. The government told the court that till now sufficient evidence regarding Kuldeep Singh Sengar's involvement in the Unnao gangrape case could not be found and the MLA will be arrested if enough evidence against him is found. The court expressed unhappiness over the government's submission and flayed it saying whether it is necessary to wait for the evidence to arrest the accused in such serious cases. "Police is not ready to register FIR of a minor rape victim. In spite of SIT report, you are repeating that we can only take any action after further investigation, if this is the conduct of the police in state, whom a victim will approach to register a complaint. If this is the stand you repeatedly taking then we will be forced to observe in our order that law and order has collapsed in the state," PTI quoted the court as saying. The court took cognizance of the gangrape case on a letter to the court by senior lawyer Gopal Swaroop Chaturvedi detailing the incident. A bench of Chief Justice D B Bhosale and Justice Suneet Kumar has reserved its order in the case for Friday.