Unnao perpetrators' families fear Hyd-like encounter

The family members of the five accused, who had set ablaze a rape survivor in Unnao, apprehend a Hyderabad-like encounter of the alleged perpetrators.

They also demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident saying that they had no faith in the state police.

The members of the families of the five and scores others, apparently their supporters, tried to speak to politicians including the two UP ministers and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who visited the rape victim's family on Saturday.

According to reports, a large number of women tried to prevent Priyanka's cavalcade from leaving the spot after meeting the family of the victim demanding that they be heard too. Priyanka, however, did not come out of her vehicle.

"We fear that all of them (the accused) may be killed in an encounter like the one happened in Hyderabad," said a relative of Shubham Trivedi, who is one of the main accused in the incident.

Sources said that the families of the alleged perpetrators were "politically active" and "very influential". Shubham's mother was the 'pradhan' (panchayat chief) of the village.

Such was the influence of the families of the perpetrators, that the local police had refused to lodge the complaint of rape against Shubham's cousin Shivam Trivedi and the victim had to move court to get a case registered against him.

"The fact that they (perpetrators' families) could bring so many people in their support shows their influence," said a local government official in Unnao.