SC to hear plea for CBI probe into Unnao gang rape and victim’s father’s death

The Supreme Court said on Wednesday it will hear next week a plea for a CBI probe into Unnao gang rape allegedly involving a BJP lawmaker from Uttar Pradesh.

The bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud said it would hear the plea which has also alleged that the rape victim’s father was tortured and killed in the police custody at the behest of the “ruling party” in the state.

The petition, filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma, sought the court’s direction to the CBI to probe the alleged kidnapping and rape of a minor girl in July last year “by the BJP MLA and his companion and custodial death of her father via torture” on April 9.

Alleging that the complaint had not mentioned the name of the legislator “under political pressure” and that the state police would not carry out a “fair investigation under compulsion”, it said the matter should be handed over to the CBI for an independent investigation.

Referring to the victim’s statement, the petition also alleged that sitting BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar from Bangarmau constituency in Unnao district was the main accused in cases of the girl’s rape in July last year and custodial death of her father after her protest against the legislator.

The public interest petition also sought protection and compensation to the victims’ kin, as was provided in the Nirbhaya gangrape case.

Meanwhile, the Allahabad high court took the suo motu cognizance of the Unnao case on Wednesday and appointed senior advocate Gopal Swaroop Chaturvedi as amicus curiae and fixed the hearing on April 12.

Chaturvedi had filed a petition demanding fair investigation into the Unnao gang rape and the alleged custodial death of the survivor’s father.