UP Police was 'lackadaisical' in handling Unnao rape case: CBI to Delhi court

The CBI has told a Delhi court that Uttar Pradesh Police was "lackadaisical" in handling the 2017 case of rape of a minor girl in Unnao allegedly by MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar.

In its charge sheet filed on July 11, 2018, the probe agency said they were investigating the role of authorities of the district administration and medical hospitals in Unnao district.

"During investigation, action taken by local police on several complaints on the incidents were also collected which showed lackadaisical approach of local thana police and supervisory police officers, the charge sheet said.

The CBI added that further investigation was going on in this matter.

Sengar's accomplice Shashi Singh has also been named as an accused in the charge sheet for allegedly luring the minor into going to the legislator's residence.

The accused have been booked for the offences under section 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 363 (kidnapping), 366 (kidnapping or inducing a woman to compel her for marriage), 376 (i) (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

According to the charge sheet, on June 4, 2017, Singh had taken the girl to Sengar's residence on the pretext of getting her a job and the MLA allegedly raped her.

It said Sengar had threatened the survivor to not disclose the incident to anyone.

The charge sheet further said though the girl tried to report the incident, no action was taken "under the influence" of Sengar.

It stated that the father of the survivor was "brutally beaten up badly by Sengar's brother Atul Singh Sengar and his henchmen on April 3, 2018 "in public view for creating terror".

He was arrested and falsely implicated in a case of illegal firearms possession, the CBI has claimed in another charge sheet filed in the case. He died in judicial custody on April 9, 2018.

The FIR was lodged in the case at Makhi police station, against Sengar and Singh on April 12, 2018, after the girl had tried to immolate herself in front of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence.

Armed with the Supreme Court's directive, District Judge Dharmesh Sharma is hearing the Unnao cases on day-to-day basis. The apex court transferred four criminal cases from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi the 2017 rape case; a fake matter under the Arms Act against the father of the rape survivor; his death in police custody, and the gang rape of the woman.

Sengar was expelled from the BJP last month.