BJP Expels 2 Members Accused In Gangrape Of IIT-BHU Student

BJP has expelled two members of its Varanasi IT cell after they were arrested in connection with the gangrape case of an IIT-BHU student.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) expelled two members of the party's IT cell in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi after they were arrested in the alleged gangrape of a 20-year-old IIT-BHU B.Tech student which occurred on November 2. This development comes hours after the Opposition alleged that the accused were linked to the BJP. On Saturday, police arrested three people and identified them as the alleged accused. Varanasi BJP chief, Hansraj Vishwakarma, did not reveal the designation and role of the accused in the party, as reported by news agency IANS.

Vishwakarma told IANS, "Definitely their (accused) names have appeared in the police probe, so they have been expelled from the party after an investigation. Further action will be taken as per the directions of the party leadership."

Kashi Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), R.S. Gautam, said that all three accused have confessed to the crime, including disrobing and filming the survivor at gunpoint. He added that they could be charged under the National Security Act and the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act.

DCP Gautam further said that the motorbike and mobile phone used in the crime, besides other electronic evidence, had been seized. 

As per an IANS report, Lanka Station House Officer Shivakant Mishra identified the accused as Kunal Pandey of Sunderpur's Brij Enclave Colony; Anand, aka Abhishek Chauhan, of Jivadhipur Bajardiha; and Saksham Patel of Bajardiha.

Just hours after their arrest, several people posted screenshots of Kunal and Saksham's Facebook pages mentioning the positions that they held in the saffron party's IT cell. Following this, BJP's Kashi Media In-charge Navratan Rathi confirmed that Kunal was the convenor of the cell's city unit and Saksham was its co-convenor, as reported by IANS.

What Happened On November 2

The victim stepped out of her hostel at around 1:30 am for a walk when a fellow male student joined her at the Gandhi Memorial Hostel crossing. As they were approaching the Karmanbir Baba temple, the motorbike-borne accused approached them and separated the victim from her friend by force. The accused dragged her behind some bushes and assaulted her, reported IANS while citing the victim's statement.

An FIR was lodged on November 2 with the Lanka Police under sections 354B (use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC and 66E of the IT Act.

The victim's statement was recorded before a Magistrate on November 8 following which sections 376 (D) (gangrape) and 509 (outraging a woman's modesty) were also added to the list of charges against the accused.