New Delhi: After some national dailies suggested that a CBI probe has confirmed the Unnao rape victim’s charge of sexual assault by the BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the CBI has issued an official press release denying the reports. The CBI press release said:In response to media queries related to a new item published today in a National Daily, it is stated that investigation in three cases relating to certain incidents including alleged rape, violence etc. in District Unnao (Uttar Pradesh) is still continuing. CBI has not given any update/conclusion/views with respect to the cases to any media person. All such stories related to said cases published/broadcast in the media recently are purely speculative. The legislator allegedly raped the girl at his home in Makhi, Uttar Pradesh, on June 4, 2017, while his female accomplice, Shashi Singh, stood guard outside the room, reported the Times of India.The report citing ‘sources’ said police had kept the names of the local MLA and a few others out of the FIR filed on June 20 (as well as out of the chargesheet later filed), even though the victim consistently named them among those who assaulted her. The central agency has recorded the survivor’s statement before a magistrate under CrPC Section 164, in which she has“stood by” her allegations. Statements recorded under CrPC Section 164 are admissible in court as evidence.The police, a CBI officer informed, had also delayed the girl’s medical examination and didn’t send the vaginal swab or her clothes to the forensic laboratory. “This was all deliberate and in connivance with the accused persons,” he added.The Unnao rape case, recently grabbing media headlines alongside the rape and murder of an eight-yer-old in Jammu’s Kathua district, has seen several twists and turns.On April 5 this year, following a complaint filed by his daughter’s alleged rapists, her father Pappu Singh, was remanded to judicial custody. On April 8, he was rushed to the district hospital after complaining of severe stomach pain. He died the following morning, prompting the woman and her family to charge that he was “killed at the behest of the BJP MLA” inside the jail so that he wouldn’t cause more trouble.The incident occurred a day after the woman and a few other family members attempted to commit suicide outside the house of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow, in a bid to propel him to take action against the alleged rapists. The victim also named Senegar’s brother as one of her rapists. The immolation bid was, however, foiled by the police.On April 10, Atul Singh Sengar, the brother of Kuldeep Singh Sengar, was arrested in Unnao. On April 13, the CBI registered three separate cases in connection with the alleged rape of a minor girl by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in Unnao district and detained him for questioning. At the request of the Uttar Pradesh government, the agency took over investigation into the three cases.This story was updated after the CBI press release was issued.
