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Uttar Pradesh: Four accused attack woman with acid after rape-survivor refuses to withdraw complaint against them

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Four accused attack woman with acid after rape-survivor refuses to withdraw complaint against them

In a horrific incident that has come to light in Muzaffarnagar, UP, a 30-year-old woman faced an acid attack by the four men following her refusal to withdraw her rape complaint filed against them.

According to the reports, the 30-year-old woman has suffered 30 per cent burns and she is currently undergoing treatment at a Meerut hospital.

Reportedly, the four men, who are also accused of raping the woman barged into the woman’s house on Wednesday night and demanded that she withdraw the complaint she had filed against them in a court for committing rape. As she refused, they poured acid on her, said Circle Officer Girja Shanker Tripathi of Shahpur police station.

The four men involved in the acid attack on the woman have been identified as Arif, Shahnawaz, Sharif and Abid of Kaserva village, said Tripathi.

“All four men are absconding but we will nab them soon,” he added. The woman had earlier filed a complaint in a court here, accusing the four of raping her some time back, he said.

The woman had filed the complaint in the court instead of approaching the police as the woman had earlier lodged a complaint with the police but the case was closed by the police citing no evidence of rape against the victim.

Following the attack on the woman, the police have now registered a case against the perpetrators under section 326 A of the Indian Penal Code. The provision entails a jail term of 10 years on conviction.

The FIR has also been lodged under IPC section 323 (causing hurt), 452 (trespassing into one’s house with an intention to assault him or her), 504 (criminal insult) and 506 (criminal threat), the police officer said.

The heinous incident is being reported days after the gut-wrenching Unnao incident, in which a 23-year-old victim was killed after she was set on fire by pouring kerosene on her allegedly by five men, including the duo who are accused of raping her a year ago.

The victim was attacked on early hours of Thursday by the accused when she along with her family were on their way to a court in Rae Bareli to attend a hearing in the rape case. The five men also included the two who were accused of raping the woman in December.

The 23-year-old woman died on Friday night after hours of fighting at the Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi. She was earlier admitted to a Lucknow hospital on Thursday with 90 per cent burns and was later airlifted to Delhi for further treatment.

The cases of rapes against women are coming out in the public at a time when there is a raging debate regarding the failure of the justice delivery system in the country leading to situations similar to Hyderabad encounter in which the police officials encountered the four accused who had raped and murdered the 27-year-old veterinary doctor.

Unnao police calls out Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, says her statement that there were 90 rape cases in past one year wrong

OpIndia Staff
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Unnao police calls out Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, says her statement that there were 90 rape cases in past one year wrong

After the Unnao victim was burnt to death by the rape-accused, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra claimed that over the past 1 year, over 90 cases of rape were reported in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh. The Unnao police have now come out to rubbish the claims by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The Unnao Superintendent of Police spoke to India Today and asserted that Unnao had registered 51 cases of rape in the past one year and not 90 as claimed by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Unnao SP Vikrant Vir told India Today, “51 cases of rape have been registered from January 1 till November 30 in the police stations falling under the Unnao district. Sixty-four cases of rape were registered in 2018, 54 in 2017, 37 in 2016 and 39 cases of rape were registered in 2015.”

On Friday, Congress party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had said, “Almost 90 cases of rape have been reported from Unnao district this year. Crime against women is on the rise and the government is busy shielding criminals. UP CM should set up a helpline dedicated for women at his office to act swiftly on any complaint that has been filed.”

While horrific rape cases are being reported from across the country, it shows the dishonesty of a political party if it chooses to talk about only one case simply because that state is ruled by an opposition party.

There have been widespread protests in the country after a girl in Unnao was burnt to death allegedly by a rape-accused who had victimised her earlier and was out-on-bail. The Yogi Adityanath government had vowed to ensure justice for the victim with the case being heard in fast track court. The Yogi Adityanath government has also announced Rs 25 lakh compensation for the family of the victim and a house.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had in a statement called the Unnao rape victim’s death extremely saddening and unfortunate, adding that all the accused have been arrested by the police. He assured that the government will take the case to a fast track court ensuring strict punishment for the accused.

The 23-year-old Unnao rape victim, who was airlifted to Delhi and admitted to Safdarjung Hospital with 90 per cent burns after being set on fire, died on Friday night.

After battling for life for almost 40 hours, the woman died following a cardiac arrest at 11.40 pm, hospital sources said.

The victim was attacked on early hours of Thursday by the out-on-bail accused when she along with her family were on their way to a court in Rae Bareli to attend a hearing in the rape case. The five men who attacked them also included the two who were accused of raping the woman in December. Her family had alleged that their relatives have been getting death threats for pursuing this case. “We have faith on the police but if they fail to protect us, we will have to protect ourselves,” the Unnao rape survivor’s brother said.

Reports say 1000 trees in Aurangabad to be cut for Bal Thackeray memorial while Uddhav Thackeray halts Mumbai Metro project to save Aarey trees, mayor denies

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Reports say 1000 trees in Aurangabad to be cut for Bal Thackeray memorial while Uddhav Thackeray halts Mumbai Metro project to save Aarey trees, mayor denies

The ruling Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, which has been strongly advocating for eco-conservation by cancelling the metro project at Aarey on ‘concerns’ that trees are being cut, seems to have taken a u-turn as Aurangabad Municipal Corporation, which Sena controls, wants to now chop down 1,000 trees for a Bal Thackeray memorial in Priyadarshini Park.

According to the Mumbai Mirror report, Shiv Sena-governed Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is all set to cut nearly 1,000 trees for a memorial of the party’s founder, the late Bal Thackeray. This decision of the AMC comes after Shiv Sena Chief and newly elected CM Uddhav Thackeray had stopped work on a Metro car shed at Aarey Colony claiming that the project would require felling of many trees.

Reportedly, Priyadarshini Park is dense wood that spans across 17 acres in the middle of Aurangabad. It serves as a green lung to the city and used for walking, jogging and other leisure activities. According to environmental activists, the park is home to 70 species, 40 species of butterflies and various reptiles and small mammals.

Read: Aarey activist from NGO Vanashakti threatens a woman with ‘dire consequences’ for a Facebook post that supported Mumbai Metro

However, the Sena which runs the AMC for the past 25 years now wants to build a memorial for Bala Thackeray by felling thousands of trees at Priyadarshini Park. The memorial will also have an amphitheatre, a museum and a food court. It will be built with a whopping cost of Rs 61 crore.

Sunny Khinwsara, a lawyer for petitioners who have filed a Petition in the Bombay HC said that as per AMC’s own project report there is a need to cut at least 1,000 trees.

“AMC’s affidavit in court is silent on the number of trees needs to be cut for the project. It just says ‘minimum number’ of trees will be cut. In fact, in an advertisement published by AMC in a local newspaper, it had invited tenders for the cutting of 330 trees,” he added.

Read: Climate Change and India: Urban elites should focus their energy on pressuring developed nations to meet emission targets

According to Khinwsara, the park was taken by the AMC from City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) on the terms that the former will maintain a public garden there. In his affidavit, he also claimed that the condition of the park has deteriorated since it was taken over by AMC from CIDCO in 2016 and that more than 1,200 trees have either been cut or dried up.

Reportedly, the CIDCO handed over the land in the 1980s to Mahatma Gandhi Mission, who converted the barren land to a lush green park over the years by planting more than 10,000 trees.

However, Aurangabad mayor Nandkumar Ghodele has denied the reports that trees are being cut for the memorial. He said that they will ensure that no trees are cut while building the memorial and will abide by directions given by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.


Read: NGOs and assorted ‘liberals’ protesting against Mumbai Metro are wrong: Here are the facts of Aarey Colony Metro Shed

Soon after coming to power in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had ordered to put a halt to the car shed construction for the Mumbai Metro in Aarey Milk Colony.

Addressing his first press conference as chief minister, Uddhav Thackeray said, “I have ordered to stop the work of Aarey metro car shed project today. Metro work will not stop but till next decision, not a single leaf of Aarey will be cut”. Saying that overnight cutting of trees in Aarey was not acceptable, Thackeray said not a single tree leaf will be cut till further notice.

A day after new CM Uddhav Thackeray had stopped construction of the metro car shed in the Aarey Milk Colony his government had registered against officials and a contractor for allegedly cutting of trees along the route of Metro Line in Thane.

The Supreme Court had last month, clarified that there is no stay order on the construction of Metro shed in Aarey Colony, with a stipulation that a stay on felling of trees will remain. However, the Metro Corporation had clearly stated that that they have cut all the trees that needed to be cut and they do not need to cut any more trees in the area.

Laws should be amended so accused in rape cases do not get bail: Sister of Hyderabad rape and murder victim

OpIndia Staff
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Laws should be amended so accused in rape cases do not get bail: Sister of Hyderabad rape and murder victim

The sister of Telangana veterinarian who was gang-raped and murdered near Hyderabad has demanded that law should be amended to ensure that accused in rape cases do not get bail, reports ANI. This comment by the Hyderabad victim’s sister comes after a spate of incidents where out-on-bail rape accused have gone after their victims.

“Laws should be amended so that accused don’t get bail in such cases,” she said speaking to ANI while demanding speedy justice.

“There has to be a full stop to such incidents. Justice should be delivered at the earliest. It shouldn’t take years and the victim is killed in the meantime,” she said.

Earlier, reacting to the news of the death of the four accused in a police encounter, the Hyderabad’s vet’s father had welcomed the decision on Friday and admitted he had never expected that justice would be delivered to his daughter so fast.

Read: Chhattisgarh: Molester released on bail days ago chases and attacks his victim with a sickle, leaves her critically injured

Echoing the same sentiments as her daughter, he had mentioned that the entire country should introspect over the recent developments. The Hyderabad vet’s father had reiterated the need for stricter laws so that rapists could be hanged faster.

The 27-year-old veterinary doctor was brutally gang-raped and set ablaze on the night of November 27 by the four accused before burning her body on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

Read: Telangana encounter: No right answer

The Telangana police had arrested all the four under charges of gang-rape and murder in less than 24 hours after the crime. The police had confirmed that a lorry driver named Mohammad Pasha from Narayanpet in Mahababub Nagar district was allegedly the main suspect. The other accused were identified as Naveen from Gudigandla, cleaner Kesavulu, and an assistant named Shiva.

On the early hours of Friday, four people arrested in connection with the case were shot dead by police in an encounter while they were being taken to the crime spot on Friday. According to police, the four accused snatched weapons and tried to flee.

Prime accused in Vyapam case seen at school event attended by MP CM Kamal Nath and Congress leader Digvijay Singh

OpIndia Staff
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Prime accused in Vyapam case seen at school event attended by MP CM Kamal Nath and Congress leader Digvijay Singh

The Congress government in Madhya Pradesh has set itself up for huge embarrassment after the prime accused in the Vyapam scam, Jagdish Sagar, was seen at the same school event attended by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath. The same event was also attended by senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh and Higher Education Minister Jitu Patwari. Sagar was seen during the prize distribution programme at Daily College School in Indore.

Sagar is accused of having conspired to get admissions for more than 150 students in medical colleges through Vyapam. Two cases were filed against Sagar pertaining to the Pre-Medical Test in 2012 and 2013. He was arrested for being the mastermind of the Vyapam scam in 2013 and after spending years in jail, had secured bail in 2015 after CBI took over the case.

In 2018, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed a charge sheet in the Vyapam scam against ‘mastermind’ Dr Jagdish Sagar, two officials of the exam board, and others under the anti-money laundering law. Apart from Sagar who acted as the middleman, Dr Vinod Bhandari who is the ex-chairman of Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences (SAIMS), and Vyapam officials Dr Pankaj Trivedi and Nitin Mohindra were named. The chargesheet was filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Read: Vyapam: Congress leader KK Mishra sentenced to 2 years jail in Shivraj Chouhan defamation case

The charges against Jagdish Sagar was filed in 2018 after the investigation had revealed that he illegally acquired money by resorting to malpractices in PMT-2012, pre-PG examination-2012, PMT-2013, and that he had deposited the illegal earnings in the regular banking channels and acquired various properties.

In the 2018 Madhya Pradesh Assembly Elections, Jagdish Sagar had fought on a BSP ticket and lost. Sagar had fought the Gohad seat where Congress candidate Ranjiv Jatav had won and Sagar had come a distant third.

Interestingly, a Bhopal court in 2018 had directed police to FIR against in Congress leaders Kamal Nath, Digvijay Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia and whistleblower Prashant Pandey in the Vyapam scam case. A district court in Bhopal had issued this order to Shyamala Hills police station in Bhopal, on the accusation of submitting false evidence in High Court and Supreme Court.

Read: Day after court orders FIR against Congress leaders in Vyapam case, Rahul Gandhi raises it

The court order had come as a complaint filed by BJP law cell under several sections of IPC including 420, 466 and 468. The complaint alleges that the Congress leaders have misled the court by submitting forged documents before Madhya Pradesh High Court. The petition also alleges that the Congress leaders are trying to mislead the court and manipulate the investigation into the scam.

This petition had come as a counter-petition filed by Digvijay Singh against several BJP leaders. On 19 September 2018, Digvijay Singh had filed the petition accusing that the then MP Chief Minister Shivraj Sing Chauhan is at the root of the Vyapam Scam. He had also submitted around 27,000 pages of documents related to Scam along with the petition. Senior lawyer Kapil Sibal had represented Singh in the court.

Read: FIR ordered against Digvijay Singh, Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia for submitting false evidence in Vyapam

The Congress leaders had alleged that a hard disk related to the case was tampered with. Sibal had said that the then CM’s name appeared 48 times in the disk, which was removed by police. Sibal claimed he had sent the data to Truth Lab in Bengaluru and they had found that data was tampered with.

But, Forensic Science Laboratory in Hyderabad had concluded that disk was not tampered with, and Shivraj Singh Chouhan was already given a clean shit by Supreme Court two years ago in the matter based on the FSL. Therefore, BJP had alleged that Congress was misleading the court by again saying that disk tampered when SC has already accepted the FSL report that disk was genuine.

It is pertinent to note here that in 2017, Congress leader KK Mishra was sentenced to two years in prison for defaming Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his family in the Vyapam case.

Tripura: Minor girl raped, burnt to death by boyfriend, his family and friends after keeping her captive for two months

OpIndia Staff
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Tripura: Minor girl raped, burnt to death by boyfriend, his family and friends after keeping her captive for two months

The horrific crimes against women continue to haunt the country as in yet another incident a 17-year-old girl has lost her life after she was held captive and raped for days allegedly by her boyfriend and his friends. The victim died as she was burnt alive by the accused and his family on Saturday.

According to reports, the main accused Ajoy Rudrapaul had promised to marry the minor girl two months ago and brought her to his residence in Santir Bazar area of south Tripura. The victim’s family alleged that Ajoy and his family members tortured and raped the girl over the past two months and they set her on fire Friday evening.

The girl had suffered 90% burn injuries after being set on fire, allegedly by her boyfriend and his family members at their residence in Shantirbazar, South Tripura, on Friday.

Read: Telangana encounter: No right answer

According to the police, the girl was rescued by the neighbours who took her to GB Pant Hospital here and added that the girl was held captive for ransom by her boyfriend for two months.

As news of the death of minor girl spread, a mob gathered outside the GBP Hospital in Agartala and thrashed the accused and his mother after the victim succumbed to burn injuries.

SP (South Tripura) Jal Singh Meena said, “The main accused in the case, Ajoy, was arrested at the hospital and later brought to Shantirbazar police station. The girl was set ablaze on Friday evening. The investigation is on.”

Reportedly, the deceased girl had met Ajoy on social media, eloped with him just after Diwali when the youth visited her home and proposed marriage. The family of the victim claimed that the accused then forcibly detained her for ransom and raped her along with his friends.

Read: Filmmaker Daniel Shravan says rape victims should carry condoms and cooperate in rape to avoid their murder afterwards

The victim’s mother said that they had lodged a police complaint soon after the girl went missing. The family had sought the help of police after the accused demanded money from them for the second time. The mother said they did not get any police assistance.

“On Friday night we paid her (Ajoy’s mother) Rs 17,000 at the Chandrapur ISBT but she was not happy and warned us to pay the full amount if we wanted to get the girl back. In the meanwhile, we got to know their address and planned to reach them today. But early this morning we were informed that she had been set on fire and had been shifted to hospital,” the girl’s mother alleged.

“We immediately reported the matter to the police but they did not turn up. When we met her at the hospital, my daughter was in critical condition. She told us she had been repeatedly gang-raped for the past two months and was continuously tortured as we did not pay the ransom money. Finally, when Ajoy got to know that only Rs 17,000 had been paid, he became furious. And at night they set her on fire,” the girl’s mother claimed.

According to the victim’s statements to her mother, the accused Ajoy worked with a private company in Bengaluru and had come home to meet her. The mother added that everything was fine until her daughter went missing. She alleged that Ajoy and her mother started torturing and raped her daughter. She was not even given proper food and was told she would be killed if the entire ransom money was not paid, said the mother of the girl.

Amidst looming ISIS threat, CPI (M) govt withdraws the security cover of ex-Kerala HC judge Kemal Pasha critical of state govt

OpIndia Staff
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Amidst looming ISIS threat, CPI (M) govt withdraws the security cover of ex-Kerala HC judge Kemal Pasha critical of state govt

The Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government on Saturday abruptly dropped the security cover provided to the retired High Court justice B Kemal Pasha, who has been a staunch critic of the CPM-led LDF government’s incompetence in managing a host of issues.

According to Justice Kemal Pasha, four police personnel deployed for his personal security were removed by the government. “The decision to withdraw my security was taken at the Home Secretary-level on Friday. The armed guards terminated their services to me today.”

The Kerala government’s move to remove security cover comes at a time when the retired judge is facing a looming threat from Islamic State terrorists active in Kerala.

However, the retired judge said that such tactics wouldn’t silence him and he will continue to express his opinions fearlessly. “I am an ordinary person and have always spoken for the people. I have criticised the way things had gone in Kerala, like in the Walayar incident, slapping of UAPA charges against two youths, a Kerala Minister about the use of drugs by people in the film industry. I have spoken numerous times what I felt and will continue to do so,” he said.

The retired justice has been critical of several of the policy decisions taken by the CPI(M) government in Kerala including his recently deprecatory remarks made about the alleged killing of the four Maoists in an encounter by police in Attappadi recently. Pasha asserted that the government, as a retaliatory measure for his castigatory statements, has decided to abruptly remove his security despite continuing ISIS threat against him.

Uttar Pradesh: Govt announces Rs 25 lakh compensation and house for family of Unnao rape victim

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Govt announces Rs 25 lakh compensation and house for family of Unnao rape victim

After assuring to take the case in a fast-track court, Yogi Adityanath led government in Uttar Pradesh today announced an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh for the family of the Unnao rape victim. Along with this, the UP government has also announced to give a house to the victim’s family under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

Meanwhile, the other facilities which will be provided to the family of the 20-year-old rape survivor, who died on Friday night, after hours of fighting at the Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi, will be looked at the local level, Additional Chief Secretary Awanish Awasthi told PTI.

Senior UP minister Swami Prasad Maurya who was sent to Unnao to meet the bereaved family, also made an announcement in this regard there: “The Chief Minister is very much with the family of the deceased in this hour of crisis. The culprits will be dealt with sternly and punished. A fast track court will be set up with this view in mind,” Maurya said.

Moreover, the government has also promised of providing government accommodation to the family of the Unnao rape victim who died of a cardiac arrest after suffering 90 per cent burns.

Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had in a statement called the Unnao rape victim’s death extremely saddening and unfortunate, adding that all the accused have been arrested by the police. He assured that the government will take the case to a fast track court ensuring strict punishment for the accused.

The 23-year-old Unnao rape victim, who was airlifted to Delhi and admitted to Safdarjung Hospital with 90 per cent burns after being set on fire, died on Friday night.

After battling for life for almost 40 hours, the woman died following a cardiac arrest at 11.40 pm, hospital sources said.

The victim was attacked on early hours of Thursday by the out-on-bail accused when she along with her family were on their way to a court in Rae Bareli to attend a hearing in the rape case. The five men who attacked them also included the two who were accused of raping the woman in December.

Her family had alleged that their relatives have been getting death threats for pursuing this case. “We have faith on the police but if they fail to protect us, we will have to protect ourselves,” the Unnao rape survivor’s brother said.

The rape accused and his friends dragged the woman outside of her village, took her into the fields and doused her in petrol before setting her on fire. She was raped by the five men in March while the police could manage to arrest only three of them and two others were still on the run.

Reportedly, the rape victim survivor was going to Raebareli with her parents to pursue the case on Wednesday when she was attacked. The survivor was immediately rushed to the district hospital and then referred to Civil Hospital in Lucknow after her condition deteriorated.

All the five accused, including Hari Shankar Trivedi, Shivam and Shubham Trivedi, have been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police and murder charges have been invoked against them.

Hyderabad encounter: Pregnant wife of accused refuses to perform last rites of her husband, complaint filed against police officers behind the encounter

OpIndia Staff
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Hyderabad encounter: Pregnant wife of accused refuses to perform last rites of her husband, complaint filed against police officers behind the encounter

Expressing her grief and resentment over the police encounter of her husband Chintakunta Chenna Keshavulu, one of the accused in the gang-rape and murder of the 27-year-old veterinary doctor in Hyderabad, the wife Renuka has put forth a strange demand before the police. She has said that she would not perform her husband’s last rites unless the police eliminates everyone held up in jail for committing a crime.

The wife of the accused is pregnant and has alleged that injustice has been done to her.  She participated in a sit-in protest against the police action against her husband. The protest saw participation from some other villagers in Narayanpet district. Lamenting on her husband’s death, she said on Friday that the police should kill her too as she is now alone. “We were married for less than a year. I was told by the police that nothing will happen to my husband and he will return soon. Now I do not know what to do. Please take me to the place where my husband was killed and kill me too,” She said.

In wee hours of December 6, 2019, the Hyderabad police killed all the four accused in the gang-rape and murder of the 27-year-old veterinary doctor after they tried to escape by attacking a police party. The police had taken them to the spot to recreate the crime scene and recover objects related to crime. The accused had reportedly snatched some weapons from policemen and tried to escape. They were killed by retaliatory fire in self-defence by the police. Two policemen also suffered injuries in the encounter.

Also Read- Telangana encounter: No right answer

The encounter has elicited mixed reactions with many celebrating the killing of the accused while others raising doubts over the authenticity of the encounter.

However, the victim’s father welcomed the police action against the accused and said that they deserved the fate. He expressed gratitude to the police and the Chief Minister for the action taken by the police against the perpetrators.

On the other hand, a complaint has been lodged against the encounter. Shadnagar ACP Surender lodged the case at Shadnagar Police Station under section 307 of the IPC (attempt to murder) and provisions of Arms Act on Friday. In addition to this, a petition has been filed in apex court by two advocates seeking order to launch an investigation, the registration of an FIR and subsequent action against the police officers who killed the four people accused of the rape and murder of the Veterinarian doctor in Hyderabad in an alleged encounter.

After Rahul Gandhi says India is rape capital of world, BJP raises Sukanya Devi issue: Know about case against Gandhi, dismissed by courts

OpIndia Staff
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After Rahul Gandhi says India is rape capital of world, BJP raises Sukanya Devi issue: Know about case against Gandhi, dismissed by courts

After Congress MP Rahul Gandhi launched an attack on the Modi government for the cases of rape happening across the country, the BJP has launched a counted attack on him by raising the Sukanya Devi issue.

Today Rahul Gandhi said in Kerala that “India is known as a rape capital in the world”. He also said that the Modi government is responsible for the increasing cases of rape and violence in the country. Responding to this remark, the official Twitter handle of BJP Karnataka said, “Innocents Nirbhaya & Dr Priyanka have got justice, only SUKANYA DEVI is waiting for JUSTICE. Will you fight for Her Rahul?” They said that instead of shamelessly maligning India as rape capital of the world, Rahul Gandhi should have fought for capital punishment for rapists.


BJP leader and Karnataka Tourism Minister CT Ravi also raised the issue, saying that “majority of Rapists get punished one way or another, but the Rapist of Sukanya Devi is roaming around freely.” He asked why Rahul Gandhi is not fighting for Sukanya Devi. He also slammed the former Congress president for calling India as the rape capital, saying no true son of India will say that, and “only an outsider with a twisted mind can speak such nonsense.”


The Sukanya Devi case refers to an allegation that one woman named Sukanya Devi, daughter of a local Congress leader in UP, was raped by Rahul Gandhi and his friends in 2006 in Amethi. The allegation was initially raised by several bloggers, and it was said that the girl and her parents went missing after they met Sonia Gandhi to complained about the alleged incident.

The allegations said that Sukanya was the daughter of a congress worker named Balram Singh, and she was a big fan of Rahul Gandhi. It was alleged that when Rahul Gandhi was partying with his friends in Amethi guest house, she had gone there to meet him, where she was raped by Gandhi and his 7 friends, 2 of whom were from Britain and 2 other from Italy. Apparently she somehow escaped after the incident, and approached several people but nobody came forward to help. The allegations say that Sukanya Devi, her father Balram Singh and mother Sumitra Devi met Sonia Gandhi and Human Rights Commission, and after that the whole family went missing. It is also alleged that a videographer named Dhrupad and a cameraman from a news channel who had recorded the statement of Sukanya, also went missing after that.

The allegations were completely ignored by media, and only some social media users kept raising it. But when SP MLA Kishore Samrite raised it in 2011, media was forced to report it. Samrite had filed a case at the Allahabad High Court seeking a probe into the alleged rape and the vanishing of Sukanya wither her parents. The MLA had said that when went to the village, he had found the home of the family was abandoned and the neighbours were unaware about the family’s mysterious disappearance after going to Delhi.

Read: Rahul Gandhi trusted the Judiciary when it acquitted him of rape, why undermine it now?

But a probe by police on the orders of the court found no truth in the allegations. It had found that the address of family mentioned by Kishore Samrite didn’t exist. Moreover, another person named Gajendra Pal, acting as next friend of Balram and Sukanya had filed another petition in the court saying that Samrite had filed a false petition which was politically motivated.

The investigation had also found that Balram Singh had sold his house and moved to another place, and his wife and daughter’s names were wrongly mentioned in the blogs. His wife was Sushila Devi and their eldest daughter was Kirti Singh. They had informed that some persons claiming to be media had come to their house and showed them the photograph of Sukanya Devi, asking if she was their daughter. They had told them that this was a different woman and not their daughter.

After this the petitioner had alleged that Kirti Devi was a different woman, and she was planted in the case to derail it.

But the High Court had dismissed both the petitions, and both the petitioners, Kishore Samrite and Gajendra Pal, were asked to pay fines. Kishore was fined Rs 50 lakhs for filling a petition based on ‘falsehood’, out of which 25 lakhs was to be paid to Kirti Singh, 20 lakhs to Rahul Gandhi and 5 lakhs to the DGP of UP as a reward. On the other hand, Gajendra was fined 5 lakhs because he had no locus standi in the case as he had no relation with the family. The court had also slammed Gajendra Pal for dragging the family to the court despite the fact they didn’t lodge any complaint.

After this Kishore Samrite had approached the Supreme Court, but the apex court too had dismissed the allegations in 2012, and imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on Samrite, while reducing the high court’s fine from Rs 50 lakhs to Rs 10 lakhs. The court had noted that there was “not even an iota of evidence” to show that the alleged incident had happened in 2006. Moreover, Samrite had did a U-turn during the SC hearing, saying that he had no personal knowledge of the case and he had lodged the petition on the instructions of SP leadership.

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