Unnao Rape Case: Allahabad High Court Takes Suo-Moto Cognizance of The Matter, Holds Victim's Father's Cremation

Lucknow, April 11:  In a big move, the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday took suo-moto cognizance of the Unnao Rape Case allegedly involving a BJP lawmaker from Uttar Pradesh. In its decision today, the Court has put the victim's father's cremation on hold as it will hear the matter on Thursday i.e. April 12, 2018.

The Allahabad Court has also appointed an amicus curiae in the case. It must be  noted that an amicus curiae is someone who is not a party to a case and may or may not have been solicited by a party, who assists a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case, and is typically presented in the form of a brief.

Earlier in the day, says ADG Lucknow zone Rajeev Krishna who is heading the SIT in Unnao rape case said that the family will be provided full security. "They have a relative in Delhi, now it is their decision if they want to live here in Unnao or in Delhi", he informed.

The victim has alleged that BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his aides raped her in June 2017. She claimed that the police did not investigate her allegations and failed to name Sengar in an official document that recorded her complaint.

To recall, the victim's father was in judicial custody since April 4, after he got into a fight with the aides of the MLA’s brother, Atul Sengar.  The postmortem report of the 55-year-old stated that he died of shock and Septicaemia. Reports inform that he had multiple abrasions near the abdomen, buttocks, thighs, above and below knee joints and arms which indicate that his death may have been caused by a physical assault.

In the last week, two police officers and four constables have been suspended after the victim's father, who alleged that she was raped by a BJP MLA and his accomplice last year, died allegedly in police custody. Reports state that Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath had summoned accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar after the woman had tried to commit suicide outside the chief minister's residence in Lucknow on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will hear next week here a plea for CBI probe into the Unnao gangrape case allegedly involving a BJP lawmaker from Uttar Pradesh. The bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y 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 above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 11, 2018 12:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).