BJP minority morcha leader booked for alleged rape of Dalit girl, killing of her father in UP

A case has been lodged against a BJP minority morcha leader for the alleged rape of a 17-year-old Dalit girl and killing of her father in this Uttar Pradesh district, police said.

The case has been lodged at the Sadar Kotwali police station against Masoom Raza Rahi, the district president of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) minority morcha, they added.

In her complaint to police, the girl alleged that on August 28, the BJP leader raped her and when her father, Raju, protested on seeing the incident, the accused thrashed him, leading to grievous injuries. The father of the girl subsequently died during treatment.

The complainant said after her mother's death, she lived in Rahi's house as a tenant along with her father, three sisters and a younger brother.

Circle Officer (Sadar) Ajay Singh Chauhan said a case has been lodged against the accused under sections 376 (rape), 302 (murder), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code as well as under the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

District convenor of the BJP Sanjay Pandey said the senior leadership of the party has been apprised of the incident and action will be taken accordingly.

A senior leader of the BJP's minority morcha, while confirming that Rahi is the district president of the morcha, said law is equal for everyone. The guilty will be punished and the victim will get justice, he asserted.