The Congress on Monday said that ever since the Unnao rape case took place in June 2017, the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government has been making concerted attempts to shield its MLA, Kuldeep Singh Sengar.
The statement comes shortly after the Uttar Pradesh police registered a murder case against Sengar, his brother Manoj Singh Sengar and eight others in connection with the road accident in which the Unnao rape victim and her lawyer were seriously injured, while two of her aunts were killed.
The FIR was registered under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 120-B (punishment for criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), based on the complaint of Mahesh Singh, the husband of Pushpa Singh, who died in the mishap along with another aunt of the Unnao rape victim.
"The unfortunate and pre-meditated intent to kill the unfortunate victim of the Unnao rape case and her family is extremely shocking, disturbing and it has jerked the collective conscience of the citizenry of this country. Right from the June 2017, when this incident took place, concerted attempts have been made by the UP Government to shield its MLA who is the principal accused in this unfortunate and reprehensible incident involving a minor girl," senior Congress leader Msh Tewari told media here.
"It is only after the outrage across the country, there was protest by the victim herself in front of the Chief Minister's residence and even after that protest the very next day, a father who was illegally taken into custody died due to torture which was inflicted upon him while he was in the custody of the Uttar Pradesh Police. No progress was made with regard to investigating this case much less file a charge sheet. It was only after the CBI came into picture, that the charge sheet was filed and the MLA in question, Sengar and his accomplices were charge-sheeted, but, what happened yesterday is something which is absolutely shocking, which shakes the foundation of the collective faith of people in the justice system, whereby brazen attempt was made to murder the rape victim, a family member, her Advocate in order to bury the proceeding," he added.
Tewari stated that this is something which is "unprecedented, something which we have never seen happening in democratic India with this level of impunity".
He also put forth the Congress' demands that the Supreme Court takes "suo-moto cognizance of this particular incident especially, as well as the entire unfortunate rape incident and all the attended investigations and judicial proceedings and they should proceed under the supervision and the superintendence of the Supreme Court, otherwise there will be no justice in this matter and this is not the only incident which has taken place."
Tewari said, "In another part of Uttar Pradesh, you had this extremely shocking incident in Amethi, where a former Captain of Indian Army was dragged out of his house and lynched to death and this all goes to show that there is complete lawlessness, complete anarchy in Uttar Pradesh. People who are close to the powers that be in Uttar Pradesh are able to get away with wanton murder with impunity and what you are witnessing is a complete breakdown of the constitutional scheme of law and order as it stands constituted in the state of Uttar Pradesh."
The Unnao rape victim and her lawyer are currently being treated at a Lucknow hospital, and their condition is said to be critical.
( With inputs from ANI )