Badaun rape: CBI questions BSP MLA

With five suspects apparently cleared of suspicion in Badaun murders, CBI has questioned local BSP MLA Sinod Kumar Shakya in connection with the murders of two teenaged girls in the area.

CBI sources said that Shakya was grilled as his role has been found to be suspicious. The sources said it appeared during the probe that he was apparently influencing the family in making various kinds of statements.

They said the agency has almost solved the case and it was awaiting final forensic reports from the medical board before proceeding to make arrests in the case.

The sources indicated that arrest of some family members could be made if evidence suggests their involvement.

CBI sources had said on Monday that there was no evidence linking the accused to the murder and also that no sexual assault had taken place on the two victims before their death.

The agency had taken into custody five accused--Pappu, Awadhesh and Urvesh Yadav (all three brothers) and constables Chhatrapal Yadav and Sarvesh Yadav.

The CBI had taken help of the Hyderabad-based Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) which ruled out sexual assault on the two girls.

The two cousin sisters--aged 14 and 15--were found hanging from a tree in Badaun district in UP in the last week of May, an incident that sparked national outrage with the Samajwadi Party government in the state coming under fire on the issue of law and order situation.

The findings of CBI are in sync with the observations of UP DGP A L Banerjee who had claimed that the rape of one of the victims was not confirmed and that property could be one of the motives behind the crime.