JOIN USBJP fields murder accused for Unnao panchayat chief polls
The BJP on Thursday nominated murder accused Arun Singh, who is a confidant of rape convict Kuldeep Singh Senger, as its candidate in the district panchayat chairman polls in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district.
Singh's nomination triggered sharp reactions from the rape survivor as well as opposition leaders in the state.
''Singh is an accused in the murder of my father... he is a threat to me and my family,'' the woman said.
In a video, which has gone viral on social media, the woman is heard questioning the decision of the saffron party to field Singh for the chairman's post.
The woman has also written to PM Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to cancel Singh's nomination.
Singh was an accused in the case of allegedly conspiring to get the woman and her family killed in an accident. A truck had smashed into a car in which the woman, her two aunts and her lawyer were travelling in the neighbouring Raebareli district in 2019. The aunts died on the spot while the woman and the lawyer were critically injured.
Earlier too, the BJP had nominated Senger's wife Sangeeta for the post of member of the district panchayat from Fatehpur Chaurasi in Unnao district, but was cancelled following strong protest from the rape survivor.
Senger was serving life sentence after being found guilty of raping a minor in 2017. The rape survivor had tried to immolate herself in front of the UP CM's residence here, but was stopped by the cops.
Later, a Delhi court also convicted Senger over the death of the woman's father in police custody in Unnao. He was held guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder in the case. Senger, in a bid to deter the victim and her family from pursuing the case, had got her father arrested on fictitious charges. He died in Unnao jail under mysterious circumstances.