People hold placards at a protest against the rape of an eight-year-old girl, in Kathua, near Jammu and a teenager in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh state, in Ahmedabad, India April 13, 2018. REUTERS/Amit Dave
New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) Breaking his silence on the rape-murder of a minor in Jammu and Kashmir and the rape of another in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday promised justice and said the incidents that have caused outrage have shamed the country.
Modi's comments at a function here came hours after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) got into the act by detaining and questioning rape accused BJP MLA Kuldip Singh Sengar in Uttar Pradesh while two BJP Ministers in the Jammu and Kashmir coalition led by the PDP resigned for taking part in a rally in support of the accused in the ghastly rape-and-murder of an eight-year-old girl.
"The incidents that are in discussion in the country for the last two days do not reflect good for any civilised country. This is shameful," Modi said after widespread outrage over the incidents in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and Unnao district in Uttar Pradesh.
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A woman reacts at a protest against the rape of an eight-year-old girl, in Kathua, near Jammu and a teenager in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh state, in New Delhi, India April 12, 2018. REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton[/caption]
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A woman reacts at a protest against the rape of an eight-year-old girl, in Kathua, near Jammu and a teenager in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh state, in New Delhi, India April 12, 2018. REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton[/caption]
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Villagers sit on a hunger strike demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua district, south of Jammu, April 12, 2018. REUTERS/Mukesh Gupta[/caption]
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Women shout slogans during a protest organised by the Delhi Commission for Women against the rape of an eight-year-old girl, in Kathua, near Jammu and a teenager in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh state, in New Delhi, India April 13, 2018. REUTERS/Saumya Khandelwal[/caption]
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A woman wears a bandana with a message, during a protest organised by the Delhi Commission for Women, against the rape of an eight-year-old girl, in Kathua, near Jammu and a teenager in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh state, in New Delhi, India April 13, 2018. REUTERS/Saumya Khandelwal[/caption]
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People shout slogans and hold placards during a protest against the rape of an eight-year-old girl, in Kathua, near Jammu and a teenager in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh state, in Mumbai, India April 13, 2018. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas[/caption]
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People shout slogans and hold placards during a protest against the rape of an eight-year-old girl, in Kathua, near Jammu and a teenager in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh state, in Mumbai, India April 13, 2018. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas[/caption]
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People scuffle with police at a protest against the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl, in Kathua, outside a mosque in Jammu, April 13, 2018. REUTERS/Mukesh Gupta[/caption]
"It's an insult to freedom fighters who gave their lives for the independence of this country. We are all ashamed as a society, as a country," Modi said, speaking at the inauguration of the Ambedkar National Memorial here.
"Such incidents in any part of the country or a state shake humanity. I want to assure the country that no culprit will escape. Justice will be done and it will be complete justice. The daughters will get justice. We all will have to join hands and remove this evil from the society."
In January, an eight-year-old girl went missing while grazing horses in Rassana forest in Kathua. A week later, her raped and battered body was recovered. Investigations revealed she was held captive in a temple and was sedated before being repeatedly raped and murdered.
Two BJP ministers Choudhary Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga, who attended a rally in support of the Kathua accused last month, resigned from the Jammu and Kashmir government led by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
Singh, who held the Environment and Forest portfolio and Ganga, the Industries and Commerce Minister, submitted their resignations to state BJP chief Satpal Sharma.
They had sparked overwhelming public outcry after attending a rally in Hiranagar area of Kathua district organised by the Hindu Ekta Munch in favour of the seven people accused in the rape and murder of the minor.
In New Delhi, the BJP appeared to be on the backfoot, with its MP and spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi admitting that the two BJP ministers in Jammu and Kashmir had committed a wrong by taking part in the rally.
She, however, said they were "misled and misguided" by people and accused the Congress of communalising the rape incidents.
"When you are in public life, people come to you with their version... So, the lesson to them is not to believe one side or the other and let the law take its course."
In Unnao, a 17-year-old was raped last year allegedly by BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar, who was named in a CBI FIR and questioned on Friday.
The incident came to light after the victim tried to set herself ablaze outside Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence on Sunday.
The family has alleged that the police refused to file an FIR. The victim's father died after being allegedly beaten by the MLA's brother and aides at a police station.
The CBI filed three FIRs late on Thursday over the rape and the victim's father's death in police custody. Phone call details of the accused legislator have also been sought.
In the first FIR, the CBI named Sengar and Shashi Singh, a woman who allegedly took the rape victim to the Bharatiya Janata Party leader's house.
The second FIR is against four of Sengar's accomplices -- Vineet, Baua, Shailu and Sonu -- on charges of rioting, criminal intimidation and voluntarily causing hurt.
The third one relates to Sengar's brother Atul Singh, who claimed that he was attacked by the victim's father. Atul Singh is currently in judicial custody.
Allahabad HC directs CBI to arrest MLA
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BJP MLA from Unnao Kuldip Singh Sengar, accused in a rape case, outside the office of the Senior Superintendent of Police in Lucknow on Wednesday night. PTI Photo by Nand Kumar(PTI4_12_2018_000002B)[/caption]
ALLAHABAD, APRIL 13 (PTI)The Allahabad High Court today directed the CBI to immediately arrest BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, accused in the Unnao rape case, and rapped the Uttar Pradesh government 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 registered yesterday for offences punishable under sections 363, 366, 376, 506 of IPC and sections 3 and 4 of POCSO Act and carry out further investigation within the time stipulated under the provisions of CrPC.
It also directed the agency to file status report by May 2.
The judges also took strong objection to Advocate General Raghvendra Singh's submission that Sengar would not be arrested on mere registration of the FIR, saying, "The approach of the learned Advocate General is not only appalling but shocks the conscience of the Court in the backdrop of the instant case."
The bench passed the order on a letter written by senior advocate Gopal Swaroop Chaturvedi demanding a court-monitored investigation of the incident and treated it as a PIL.
The judges said Advocate General Singh has not denied that the case involves commission of a grave and heinous offence like rape, which has been disclosed by the prosecutrix and her family members to the officer of the rank of Additional DGP.
"The arrest of the accused in the circumstances can be considered justified and necessary, not only to restrain his movement but also to infuse confidence in the victim and her family members of fair investigation and to restrain the accused from influencing the investigation and tampering with evidence and witnesses," the court said.
In its 20-page order, the court also said, "The disturbing feature of the case is that the law and order machinery and the government officials were directly in league and under the influence of Kuldeep Singh. The doctor did not examine the prosecutrix, nor did the circle officer, Shafipur, register the crime, though hand written complaint of the prosecutrix was sent from the office of the Chief Minister."
The bench said the father of prosecutrix was "beaten up by the brother and the goons of Kuldeep Singh and was arrested and in the custody was beaten mercilessly".
It also said it appears that false cases were lodged against the family members.
"Finally, father of the prosecutrix succumbed to injuries. The prosecutrix unable to face the pressures exercised upon her by Kuldeep Singh, who was having the backing of the law and order machinery of district Unnao, attempted to immolate herself to draw the attention of the society that she needs help and protection of the custodians of law, which was put to the winds at the behest of the accused Kuldeep Singh," it said.
Disagreeing with the submissions of the Advocate General, the bench said, "We are constrained to record the approach and attitude of the learned Advocate General, during the course of hearing, in contending that no accused person, including Kuldeep Singh, can be arrested without the Investigating Officer following the procedure prescribed under CrPC and collecting evidence in support of the allegation of rape."
Yesterday, the court had asked the Advocate General whether the state government proposes to arrest Sengar.
Singh had replied that he was not in a position to make any statement in this regard and police will proceed in accordance with law only after recording statement of the complainant and witnesses.
The CBI registered three separate cases in connection with the alleged rape and detained Sengar for questioning in the early hours today.
