Unnao: Missing Dalit Woman's Body Found Buried Near Ex-SP MLA's Ashram, Akhilesh Denies Links With Party

Even though Akhilesh Yadav has denied links between SP and the accused, leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Bahujan Samaj Party have called him an SP member.

Photo: ANI | PTI (File)

New Delhi: The decomposed body of a 22-year-old Dalit woman who had gone missing from UP's Unnao was recovered from a vacant plot near an ashram constructed by Fateh Bahadur Singh, a former minister in the Samajwadi Party government.

Fateh Bahadur's son Rajol Singh is the main accused in the case.

Significantly, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav has denied any links between his party and the accused.

"The person whom they are saying belongs to SP died 4 years ago. Police should answer why they took so many days to act on the matter. We are with the victim's family and their demands should be fulfilled," Akhilesh Yadav said on Friday, as quoted by news agency ANI.

 

Matter Appears To Be Of Illicit Relations Gone Wrong: Police

The police informed that post-mortem proceedings are underway.

"We interrogated the accused Rajol Singh on remand. After which the SOG team recovered the woman's body on Thursday. The body was buried in the plot near the ashram. We used local intelligence and mobile surveillance to identify the spot where the body was buried," Unnao's Additional Superintendent of Police Shashi Shekhar Singh said, as quoted by news agency PTI.

According to him, the case appears to be of illicit relations gone wrong. He said that the investigation is underway and whoever else is found involved in the incident will also be arrested soon.

The 22-year-old woman had gone missing on December 8. Her mother alleged that she had been kidnapped by former minister's son Rajol Singh.

A day after her daughter went missing, the mother had lodged a police complaint of kidnapping against Rajol Singh.

The mother had expressed apprehension of an untoward incident with the local police and also the senior officials seeking action against the accused.

Notably, on January 24, the victim's mother had attempted self-immolation in front of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav's vehicle in Lucknow as she alleged laxity by the police to find out the whereabouts of her daughter.

After the incident, the police arrested Rajol Singh on the same day. The recovery of the body has further supported the mother's allegations.

BJP, BSP Target SP

Even though Akhilesh Yadav has denied links between SP and the accused, leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have called him an SP member as they shared their reactions to the development.

UP's Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya alleged that Akhilesh Yadav is protecting the accused in this case: "Shri Akhilesh Yadav ji the dead body of a Dalit daughter was found in the SP leader's land. When the daughter's mother was pleading in front of your car, you did not listen to her and protected the SP member (accused). In the new SP, you will forgive every heinous crime of the party members. By probing the incident, we will ensure punishment to the guilty and bring justice to the victim".

Union Minister Anurag Thakur said: "It is a sad and unfortunate incident. The involvement of the SP leader in the incident shows the real face of the Samajwadi Party. No one will be spared. It is the BJP government that does justice", as reported by ANI.

BSP chief Mayawati also targeted the Samajwadi Party and demanded that the state government immediately take strict legal action against the culprits to ensure justice for the victim's family.

"Recovery of the body of a Dalit girl in the SP leader's field in Unnao district is a very sad and serious matter. The family members were already suspecting the SP leader about her abduction and murder. The state government should immediately take strict legal action against the culprits to get justice for the victim's family," she tweeted.

(With Agency Inputs)