Unnao rape case: NHRC issues notice to Uttar Pradesh govt over custodial death of victim's father

NHRC issued a notice to the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday over the custodial death of the Unnao rape victim’s father and related allegations, media reports said.

A day after the girl had tried to set herself on fire outside the Uttar Pradesh chief minister’s residence on Sunday, alleging police inaction in her gang rape by a BJP MLA, her father died in police custody on Monday.

Surendra Singh, whose daughter accused BJP legislator from Unnao Kuldeep Singh Sengar of raping her, was picked up by police late on Sunday and was apparently beaten mercilessly by four aides of the legislator as well as police personnel.

An official said the man had serious injuries on his body and was not taken to a hospital till late in the night. A doctor at the district hospital, where he was eventually taken, told the media that he was brought with serious abdominal pain and vomiting.

Unnao Superintendent of Police Pushpanjali Devi said the four aides who took part in the beating have been arrested. The officials arrested included the station house officer of Makhi, Ashok Shukla, and three constables. Kuldeep Singh Sengar’s brother,  Atul Singh , was also arrested on Tuesday on charges of beating Surendra.

Adityanath termed the incident unfortunate and announced that a top-ranking police official will probe the matter. Those behind the incident will not be spared at any cost, he added. The probe has been assigned to Additional Director General Rajeev Krishna.

Regarding the charges against him, BJP MLA Sengar told reporters that he was “being framed” by some people in a pre-planned manner to defame him.

The Opposition hit out at the ruling BJP government over the way the case was being handled. Former chief minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav demanded the resignation of Adityanath over the incident. He said it was shameful that such an incident had happened.

मुख्यमंत्री आवास पर आत्मदाह की कोशिश करनेवाली दुष्कर्म की पीड़िता के पिता की ‘पुलिस कस्टडी’ में दर्दनाक मृत्यु अत्यंत दुखदायी है। इसकी सर्वोच्च स्तरीय निष्पक्ष जाँच होनी चाहिए। महिलाओं के मान की रक्षा के लिए नैतिक जिम्मेदारी लेते हुए मुख्यमंत्री को तुरंत इस्तीफ़ा दे देना चाहिए।

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) April 9, 2018

Meanwhile, Congress president  Rahul Gandhi questioned why the BJP MLA accused of the crime was still roaming free.

With inputs from agencies