Unnao case: HC raps UP government for delay in arrest of accused MLA

The Allahabad High Court on Thursday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government for the delay in arrest of accused BJP MLA of Unnao Kuldeep Singh Sengar despite an FIR against him in a gang rape case, and said if the situation persists, it will be "forced to observe that law and order has collapsed in the state".

While hearing the case on gang rape charges against ruling party MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and the subsequent death of the victim's father, Chief Justice D.B. Bhonsle reserved his decision on the matter.

The judgement will be pronounced after 2.00 p.m on Friday by a bench of the Chief Justice and Justice Suneet Kumar.

The Chief Justice also said that the victim had been running from pillar to post for justice for the last six months but no action was taken, and it was only after the death of her father that the Unnao police woke up.

The Chief Justice also asked Advocate General Raghvendra Singh as to who he was representing -- the Uttar Pradesh government or the accused legislator.

Later, after the hearing resumed post lunch, Singh said there was not enough evidence against the MLA with regard to the gang rape case and assured the court that once concrete evidence was collected, action would be taken as per law.

The high court expressed its displeasure at the submission made by the Advocate General and asked whether the police in all such cases gathered evidence first and then acted.

Amicus curiae G.S. Chaturvedi also presented his side after which the court reserved the judgement till Friday afternoon.

Before this, the court also asked Advocate General Singh whether or not Sengar had been arrested or would he be arrested, and gave him time till 2.00 p.m to revert.

Singh, however, told the court that the state government had recommended the case to the CBI and that now all action would be taken by the premier investigative agency.

The court was also told that the first complaint by the victim's mother was lodged on June 20, 2017, after which three persons -- Avdhesh Tiwari, Shivam and Brajesh Yadav -- were charge-sheeted by the police. They were later released on bail.

The Advocate General also informed the court that on August 17, 2017, the victim petitioned the Chief Minister for the first time. The victim had claimed in her petition that she was raped on June 4, 2017.

He also told the court that a new FIR had been lodged in the matter after the preliminary report was filed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed on the instructions of the Chief Minister. BJP legislator Senger has also been made an accused in this FIR.

--IANS

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