MLA Sengar framed Unnao rape victim's father: CBI

The CBI on Thursday told a Delhi court that Uttar Pradesh MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brother assaulted the father of the 17-year-old Unnao rape case victim and framed him in an Arms Act case, in collusion with three state police officials and five others.

The agency submitted to District Judge Dharmesh Sharma that the MLA and his "accomplices", got lodged an FIR, accusing the rape victim's father of possessing a country-made pistol and four live cartridges.

The FIR also accused the victim's father of verbally abusing the MLA's brother Atul Singh Sengar and others involved in the case.

CBI counsel Ashok Bhartendu told the court that the three police officials, accused in the case of assaulting the victim's father, included the then Makhi police station's in-charge Ashok Singh Bhadauria, Sub Inspector Kamta Prasad and Constable Amir Khan.

While Bhadauria and Prasad were out on bail, Amir, who was not arrested in the case, was granted the relief from the arrest by the court today.

The charges, however, were denied by the accused persons, which also included Shailendra Singh, Vineet Mishra, Birendra Singh, Shashi Pratap Singh and Ram Sharan Singh.

According to the CBI, the incident took place on April 3, 2018, following an altercation between the victim's father and Shashi Pratap Singh.

The charge sheet filed on July 13, 2018, said the victim's father and his co-worker were returning to their village, Makhi when they asked Shashi Pratap Singh to give them a lift up to the village in their vehicle.

Singh, however, denied the lift, triggering an altercation among them.

This prompted Singh to call up his associates, following which MLA's brother Atul Singh Sengar reached the spot along with others and beat up the victim's father and his co-workers.

The victim's father was subsequently taken to the police station by them and an FIR was lodged against him and he was arrested.

The charge sheet said all this while, MLA Kuldeep Singh Senger was in touch with the district police superintendent, police station's in-charge Bhadauria. Later he also talked to the doctor, who examined the victim's father.

"MLA (Kuldeep) has every reason and authority by virtue of his being an MLA to falsely implicate the (victim's) father in the case of illegal firearms possession," the CBI said.

The rape victim's father died in judicial custody on April 9, 2018.

The counsel for the rape victim and her family, advocates Dharmendra Mishra and Poonam Kaushik, told the court that charge should also be framed against the chief medical officer of Unnao's district hospital.

The court adjourned the case for next hearing on August 10.