Pappu Singh, the father of the 18-year old rape victim, died mysteriously in police custody on Monday, 9th April. The man had openly accused BJP legislator Kuldeep Senger of dishonouring his daughter, who tried killing herself along with her family in front of Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath’s official residence on Sunday. The man was put behind the bars that night and he died the next day.
The victim’s daughter claims to have got raped by the BJP MLA Kuldeep Senger from Unnao district’s Bangermau constituency in June last year and even complained of being threatened when her family filed an FIR against the legislator.
The victim’s father was arrested on a minor charge and put behind the bars for lodging a rape complaint against the MLA. Inside the Unnao’s district police station, the man was reported to have been beaten violently by the MLA’s goons and brother. Earlier a video on the internet showed the victim’s father sitting surrounded by the MLA’s supporters inside Makhi police station. The signs of physical abuse marking his body could be noticed in that video.
The MLA’s brother Atul Singh along is believed to have physically tortured Pappu Singh in jail, when he refused to withdraw the complaint, causing his death. When brought to the district hospital, the man was vomiting, had abdominal pain and 18 wounds and slashes throughout his body.
This incident outraged people and caused a political storm in UP that compelled the police to take immediate action. Six officers, five constables and station house officer of Makhi police station got suspended.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has chalked a damage control action plan that contained arrest order of the BJP MLA’s brother Atul Singh, proper SIT probe and a parallel magisterial inquiry. Following this on the basis of the order given by the Director General of Police (DGP) O.P. Singh, the legislator’s brother with his four aides- Vineet, Baua, Shailu and Sonu got arrested in Kanpur on Tuesday.
The Chief Minister has asked Rajeev Krishna, the Additional Director General of Police (Lucknow) to make an enquiry of the entire matter and has promised to not spare any culprit regardless how influential they are.
