Even as the opposition parties were vociferously attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party government over the Rae Bareli road accident involving Unnao rape victim, the ruling party was in for more blushes when sleuths of the Central Bureau of Investigation named a BJP minister’s son-in-law, Arun Singh, as a conspirator in the crime.
Kin of the minister and BJP MLA from Hussainganj, Arun Singh is the block pramukh of Nawabganj in Unnao and is considered to be close to rape accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar.
Besides Arun Singh and Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the FIR also has the names of Sengar’s brother Manoj Singh Sengar, Vinod Mishra, Haripal Singh, Navin Singh, Komal Singh, Gyanendra Singh, Rinku Singh and advocate Awadhesh Singh and 15-20 unknown others.
Haripal and Rinku are the husband and son of Shashi Singh, the lone woman accused in the rape case.
Komal Singh is a friend of MLAs’ brother Manoj Singh Sengar, Navin Singh is a close confidant of the MLA, Gyanendra Singh is also a friend of the MLA, while advocate Awadhesh Singh is the MLA’s lawyer.
The CBI has registered a case against suspended BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and 10 other accused in the Unnao rape survivor’s accident case along with 20 unknown persons.
The FIR was registered at CBI police station by Superintendent of Police Raghvendra Vatsa, under sections 120B, 302, 307 and 506 of the Indian Penal Court for criminal conspiracy, murder, attempt to murder and criminal intimidation.
The investigation has been entrusted to Additional Superintendent of Police, CBI, ACB, Lucknow, Ram Singh.
The CBI team has collected relevant case documents and other details from a Special Investigation Team formed by the UP Police brass. The team also started probe by visiting the crime scene on Wednesday afternoon. Team members minutely checked the spot and the truck and the car and noted down important points.
After their initial probe, the CBI team would quiz the driver and cleaner of the truck who are lodged at Rae Bareli district jail. The CBI team also spoke to the investigating officer and other cops who reached the spot after the accident and took their statements.
Meanwhile, the last rites of the rape victim’s aunt Pushpa, who died in the accident at Rae Bareli on Sunday, was performed at Ganga Ghat in Unnao under heavy security on Wednesday. For the cremation, the deceased’s husband Mahesh Singh was released from Rae Bareli jail on a one-day bail.
District Magistrate of Unnao, Devendra Pandey, Superintendent of Police MP Verma and other officials were present.
After performing the last rites, Mahesh Singh blamed Sengar for the tragedy and said he had evidence against the BJP MLA accused of raping his niece at his residence in 2017.
Singh was escorted to Ganga Ghat from Rae Bareli jail for the last rites of his wife, Pushpa, but was not allowed by the administration to interact with reporters. But while being taken back to a police vehicle, Singh burst out: “My entire family has been eliminated. I have been framed in fake cases. Sengar has got everything done. I have all the evidence,” he said.
The rape victim, her advocate, Singh’s wife Pushpa and another aunt of the victim were going to Rae Bareli from Unnao on Sunday when a speeding truck coming from the wrong side rammed into their car at Gursahaiganj area of Rae Bareli.
While the rape victim’s two aunts were killed, she and her advocate were critically injured in the accident and are undergoing treatment at KGMU Trauma Centre in Lucknow.
Their condition continued to be critical. Both are on life support system, doctors attending them confirmed.
Sengar has been accused by the now 19-year-old woman of raping her at his Makhi home in Unnao in 2017 when she was a minor. The rape case was filed against the Bangarmau MLA after the woman tried to immolate herself outside Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s residence in April, 2018.
