Lucknow/New Delhi, Apr 13 (PTI) The CBI tonight arrested BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in connection with the alleged rape of a minor girl in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, officials said.

Sengar was taken into custody after intense questioning for 16 hours by a Central Bureau of Investigation team at its office on Naval Kishore Road in Lucknow.

He was brought to the office at around 5 AM today, the officials said in New Delhi.

Earlier in the day, the Allahabad High Court ordered his immediate arrest, saying he was "influencing" the law and order machinery.

As the opposition upped the ante accusing the ruling BJP of shielding perpetrators of heinous crimes against women, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that no criminal will be spared and justice will be done to daughters of the nation.

Facing flak over the delay in taking action against the MLA in the nearly year-old rape case, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said his government will not deviate from its zero-tolerance policy on crime and that it would firmly deal with criminals, no matter how influential they might be.

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