Unnao rape case: BJP MLA Sengar's brother sent to police custody; updates

CBI remanded BJP MLA Sengar's brother Atul Sengar and four other accused to police custody for four days in Unnao rape case. Read the top ten updates in the Unnao rape case.

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Tuesday remanded prime accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar's brother Atul Singh and four other associates to a four-day police custody in connection with the Unnao rape case.
 

The rape survivor’s family has alleged that BLP MLA Sengar’s brother Atul Singh Sengar, along with his companions, had also raped the girl and thrashed the victim’s father to death over his refusal to withdraw the FIR. 
 

A CBI official said: “The court has sent five accused -- Atul Sengar, Bauaa, Vineet, Sonu and Shail -- to four days in police custody. The agency has brought all the detainees to the Lucknow branch for further interrogation.
 

On the strict directions of the Allahabad High Court, the CBI has lodged a fresh fourth FIR in which it has mentioned Shashi Singh’s son Shubham Singh and Awadesh Tiwari as accused in the case of alleged kidnapping and gangrape of the Unnao minor. The CBI has also slapped the sections related to Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act, 2012.
 

The CBI court also recorded the statement of the 18-year-old Unnao gang rape victim under tight security before the magistrate. The statement was recorded under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). 
 

Earlier, on April 15, Kuldeep Singh Sengar's woman aide Shashi Singh had also been taken into a four-day custody by police authorities. Shashi Singh had allegedly lured the victim to Sengar on the day of the crime.
 

Upset over the rising number of rape cases in the country, ace Indian boxer M C Mary Kom expressed her concern and discontent, saying the present situation had left her feeling “hurt and helpless”.
 

Here are the top 10 developments in the Unnao rape case involving BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and aides:
 

1. CBI remands Kuldeep Singh Sengar’s brother to police custody: In a major development, five accused including the brother of BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar have been taken into the custody of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with Unnao rape case. The agency has brought all the detainees to the Lucknow branch for further interrogation.
 

According to the CBI officials, Bangarmau legislator's brother was detained by the Uttar Pradesh police on April 10 and his associates were arrested on April 9. Reportedly, all the five accused were already in the judicial custody of Uttar Pradesh police.

Under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act, Sengar, Atul and others are convicted with charges of rioting, criminal intimidation, gang-raping a minor and murder and assault of victim’s father.
 

The custody duration of the five accused Atul Singh, Virendra Singh, Shail Singh, Sonu Singh and Vineet Mishra, would begin from 10 am on April 18. It has been alleged that it was Atul to have first entered the police custody and killed victim’s father, reported the Indian Express and India Legal.

2. CBI registers fourth case: In another significant development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been ordered to lodge a fresh fourth case in Unnao rape case. Following the strict instructions of Allahabad High Court, the central investigating agency has booked Shashi Singh's son Shubham Singh and his aide Awadesh Tiwari under section 363 and 366 of the IPC. 

Read Mihir Sharma's opinion piece for Business Standard on crimes against women in India in the wake of the Kathua and Unnao rape cases: 
 

The new FIR has been lodged on the directions of Allahabad High Court which heavily censured the state administration for inaction against the accused in spite of complaints made to the office of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. 

Shubham’s mother Shashi Singh was on Tuesday produced in the special CBI Court by the investigating agency after arresting her. 

 

3. The backdrop of FIRs registered in Unnao rape case: The CBI has already filed three separate cases last week against Kuldeep Singh Sengar in connection with alleged crime he committed in June 2017.  Earlier, Uttar Pradesh police had charged Sengar under sections 363 (kidnapping), 366 (abduction of woman), 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The case was handed over to the CBI by Yogi Adityanath ministry after massive protests and public outrage erupted across the country over the incident.
 

Earlier, frustrated over the delay in the rape case that took place in June 2017, the rape survivor tried to set herself on fire outside Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s Yogi Adityanath’s residence.
 

Here is the detailed FIR

CBI has already registered three FIRs against Kuldeep Singh Sengar in a rape of an 18-year-old girl and murder of victim's father in the police custody.

1. The first FIR pertains to the alleged rape of the girl in which Sengar and Shashi Singh have been named as accused.

2. The second pertains to rioting, in which four locals have been booked, and the alleged killing of the victim's father in judicial custody. Since the murder charge was added later by the state police, it does not reflect in the CBI FIR.

3. The third case pertains to the allegations against the victim's father, who was arrested by the police under the Arms Act and put in jail, where he died. According to the post-mortem examination report, he had suffered serious injuries.
 

4. CBI court records Unnao rape victim’s statement: Yesterday, the CBI special court recorded Unnao’s rape survivor’s statement under tight security before the magistrate. The statement was recorded under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the minor was taken to the court by the CBI’s investigating officer RR Tripathi. Special CBI magistrate Sapna Tripathi recorded her statement in her chamber at around 4 pm. The alleged victim's mother had accompanied her to the court. The statement was taken in-camera. While responding to a media query, she said, "she was satisfied with the CBI probe so far and justice would be done". 

Earlier, on April 14, a medical test of the 18-year-old victim had conducted been at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. She and her family are under strict security provided by the Uttar Pradesh government.
 

5. Role of doctors: The CBI is also probing the involvement of doctors at the Unnao district hospital in the issue and has recorded statements of the doctors who treated the father of the girl first and then later conducted his post-mortem. They are trying to ascertain, sources told IANS, on whether they were under pressure or lured by either the administration or the MLA or his aides in the case.
 

6. Mary Kom expresses displeasure over the rape cases: The Kathua and Unnao rape cases have shook the conscience of the nation which has triggered widespread outrage and huge protests. Indian boxer M C Mary Kom said the alarming increase in the number of rape cases in India has left her feeling "hurt and helpless".
 

"Whatever the government is doing, it will take a correct step. They know better than me. It hurts me, makes me very emotional being a woman (that 8 year-olds are raped). As an Indian, I feel sad. I feel helpless," Mary Kom told a TV channel after returning to country from Gold Coast, where she won a historic gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, reported PTI.
 

7. Kailash Satyarthi also voices his concern: Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi today described as a national emergency the unstoppable growth in rape, molestation and abuse of children, and urged political parties to devote a day of Parliament to frame plans for quick delivery of justice to the victims. "Each time a daughter is raped and killed, India's soul is raped and killed. Every day, 55 children are raped in India. The ideals of a progressive and free India will never be realised as long as our children are unsafe, Satyarthi said.

8. Surat rape adds to protesters' fury, outrage:  In yet another shocking incident of crime against a minor, an eleven-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered in Gujarat's Surat. Protests were held calling for justice across the country, piling pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 
 

9. Victim's family is happy with the CBI investigation: The 18-year-old rape survivor's family is happy with the way CBI is investigating the case. Earlier, the have blamed the Uttar Pradesh police for their inaction in handling Unnao rape case.

"Vidhayak Ji got my brother killed, all officials & police involved will be sent to jail," the victim's uncle told ANI.
 

10. Yogi Adityanath unfit to be UP CM, says Congress: Congress Karnataka Working President had dubbed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as unfit for office and said that the incident should have prompted him to resign. "Mr Adityanath is a disgrace to Indian politics, and he is unfit to be the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. If he had any decency he would have resigned by now because his government has been exposed, his own MLA has committed the crime," Dinesh Gundu Rao told reporters.

"Not only has a girl been raped, her father was arrested and has died, and the BJP government and the police did not even file an FIR," he added.