Unnao Rape Case: Allahabad HC directs CBI to arrest BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar

The Allahabad High Court on Friday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to arrest BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the prime accused in Unnao rape case. 

A bench comprising Chief Justice DB Bhosale and Justice Suneet Kumar gave the direction to the agency after the counsel for the Uttar Pradesh government informed it that Sengar has been detained for interrogation and not arrested yet.

The court directed the CBI to carry out investigation strictly in accordance with law and to consider filing an application for cancellation of bail granted to other accused in the case.

It also directed the CBI to file status report by May 2.

The bench passed the order on a letter written by senior advocate Gopal Swaroop Chaturvedi demanding a court-monitored investigation of the incident and treated it as a PIL.

On Thursday, the court had asked the Advocate General whether the state government proposes to arrest Sengar.

Advocate General Raghvendra Singh had replied that he was not in a position to make any statement in this regard and police will proceed in accordance with law only after recording statement of the complainant and witnesses.

The CBI registered three separate cases in connection with the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl and detained Sengar for questioning in the early hours today.

The agency which was referred the matter only yesterday took immediate action by re-registering the UP police FIRs and brought the four-time MLA to its Lucknow office at around 5 am for questioning, they said.

The officials said Sengar, an MLA from Bangarmau, had not been arrested yet.

The cases pertain to the alleged rape, killing of the girl's father and a case of arms act which was slapped on her father in which he was arrested by local police.

The victim has alleged that she was raped by the MLA at his residence on June 4, 2017 where she had gone with a relative seeking a job.

In February, the girl's family moved court seeking to include the MLA's name in the rape case.

After filing of the case, the victim's father was booked by the police under the arms act on April 3 this year and put in jail on April 5.

Frustrated with the alleged inaction and coercion from powerful people, the victim attempted self-immolation in front of Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath's residence on April 8 which made headlines.

The next day, her father died in jail with post- mortem suggesting serious injuries on his body.

Faced with the embarrassment of its own MLA from Bangarmau in Unnao allegedly being involved in the rape case, the state government had referred the matter to the Centre yesterday -- a day before Allahabad High Court was to pronounce its order on probe into the case by the central agency.

The Centre too acted with alacrity referring the matter to the CBI last night. The agency sleuths swooped down at the residence of Sengar in Lucknow in the early hours today and took him for questioning at its office in Lucknow, the officials said.

Sengar, a four term MLA, enjoys immense clout cutting across party lines in the rural areas around Unnao district, a semi-urban area about 70 km from Lucknow.

A purported video of the girls father before his death has gone viral and was also aired by several TV news channels.

In the video, he alleged that he was mercilessly beaten up, including with rifle butts, by the MLAs brother and others in the presence of police.

(With PTI inputs)