Unnao rape case: CBI questions accused BJP MLA; HC orders immediate arrest

Amid heightened public anger, the CBI today questioned BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, accused of raping a minor girl in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao, even as the Allahabad High Court ordered his immediate arrest saying he was influencing the "law and order machinery".

As the Opposition upped the ante accusing the ruling BJP of shielding perpetrators of heinous crimes against women, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that no criminal will be spared and justice will be done to daughters of the nation.

Facing flak over the delay in taking action against his MLA in the nearly year-old rape case, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said his government will not deviate from its zero-tolerance policy on crime and that it would firmly deal with criminals, no matter how influential they might be.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who led a midnight march last night in the national capital to protest the rape cases, hit out at the prime minister over his silence on violence against women and children, saying India was waiting for him to "speak up" and asked why accused rapists and murderers were "protected" by the state.

Speaking at an event to inaugurate the B R Ambedkar memorial in the national capital, Modi said, "I want to assure the nation that no criminal will be spared. Justice will be done. Our daughters will get justice" -- an apparent reference to rape cases in Unnao and Kathua (Jammu & Kashmir), where an eight-year-old was allegedly raped and killed.

Several BJP leaders hit at the Opposition for "shedding crocodile tears" on the issue of safety of women and raised the issue of other cases of violence against women involving non-BJP leaders including a few over a decade old, in what was seen by some as whataboutery.

Hearing a petition in the case of the alleged rape of the 17-year-old Unnao girl, the Allahabad High Court directed the CBI to arrest Sengar, MLA from Bangarmau assembly in Unnao district, saying the law and order machinery and officials were directly under his influence.

A bench of Chief Justice DB Bhosale and Justice Suneet Kumar gave the direction to the agency after the counsel for the Uttar Pradesh government informed it that Sengar has been detained for interrogation and not arrested yet.

It directed CBI to arrest forthwith Sengar and the other accused named in the FIR and carry out further investigation. It also directed the agency to file status report by May 2.

Taking a strong objection to the UP government's submission that Sengar would not be arrested on mere registration of the FIR, the court said this approach is "not only appalling but shocks the conscience of the court in the backdrop of the instant case."