UP mulls over invoking NSA on rape perpetrators

Shaken by incidents of rapes and sexual assaults, the Uttar Pradesh government was considering to invoke the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against the culprits in a bid to not only deflect the opposition onslaught on it but also to send a message that it was serious in tackling such incidents.

According to the officials here on Friday, the government could slap the NSA on the family members of the alleged culprit, who tried to chop off the tongue of the rape victim in Pratapgarh district in a bid to prevent her from attending the court to record her statement.

The victim had suffered serious injuries on her face and mouth and has been admitted to the district hospital and the doctors attending on her said that her speech had been temporarily impaired.

“The incident has affected the public order,” the officials said.

Similarly, the government was also contemplating slapping NSA on the youths, who had allegedly molested a woman athlete at Saharanpur a few days back. The accused also allegedly tried to crush the girl under their vehicle. She suffered serious injuries and was admitted to the ICU at a hospital in Saharanpur. The three accused had been arrested in this connection. “NSA could be slapped against them as the incident has also affected public order,” the officials said.

The officials said that the tough action by the government would send a message to the offenders as well as to the opposition parties that it was serious in tackling such incidents.

The state government has drawn flak from different quarters over its failure to check the incidents of crimes against the womenfolk. The BJP held a demonstration here to register its protest against the incidents. Congress and BSP have also slammed the Akhilesh Yadav government for what they alleged failing on the law and order front.