BJP MLA's brother held, SIT to probe rape case

Police on Tuesday arrested Atul Singh, the brother of rape-accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Senger, in connection with the death of the victim's father in judicial custody, reportedly owing to torture, even as the Uttar Pradesh government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter.

Anand Kumar, additional director general of police (law and order), told reporters here that the MLA had not been arrested as the victim had not named him in her written complaint.

Kumar, however, denied that the MLA from Bangarmau constituency in the neighbouring Unnao district, about 60 km from here, had been given a clean chit and said that the SIT would probe every aspect of the case and quiz everyone it deemed necessary.

Four people, all goons of the MLA, had been arrested by the police on Monday after the victim's father died under mysterious circumstances in the district hospital, where he was taken for treatment from jail.

The victim, also a resident of Bangarmau area, had claimed that the MLA, his brother and some other supporters had gang-raped her after she had approached the lawmaker for a job.

Though she had lodged a complaint with the police, the latter failed to take any action against the MLA, whose goons reportedly thrashed her father and got him arrested on trumped-up charges.

The victim had attempted self-immolation near Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's official residence on Sunday in protest against the failure of the police to act against the lawmaker but was prevented by some alert cops.

Six police personnel, including the Makhi station house officer, have been suspended on charges of laxity, police sources here said.

Opposition parties have demanded Adityanath's resignation on moral grounds.