The car crash in Uttar Pradesh that left a teen rape survivor critically wounded and two of her relatives dead may have more than one BJP connection, according to the police complaint. The crash that took place on Sunday between the Unnao rape survivor’s car and a speeding truck with its number plate wiped is being investigated by the CBI.
The focus of the First Information Report (FIR) filed by the uncle of the rape survivor after the crash has been on BJP lawmaker Kuldeep Sengar, the main accused of raping the teen.
A closer study of the names on the FIR shows that another BJP leader is an accused in the crash.
“Accused no. 7” in the FIR, Arun Singh, is a BJP worker and a block president in Unnao, the hometown of the rape survivor. Arun Singh is close to Kuldeep Sengar.
In photos and videos from the 2019 national election campaign, Arun Singh can be seen standing next to top BJP leaders like party chief Amit Shah and Unnao BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj.
Arun Singh is the son-in-law of Uttar Pradesh minister Ranvendra Pratap Singh aka “Dhunni Bhaiyya”; Mr Singh is the minister in charge of agriculture, agriculture education and research in the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government.
Arun Singh told reporters today he was being framed in the case and that the complainant had a personal and political rivalry with him. “I am the UP minister’s son-in-law but that means nothing. He has his own set of politics and I have my own. Also I have never threatened the family,” Mr Singh said.
Ranvendra Singh is a BJP lawmaker from a seat in the Fatehpur district – the same place to which the truck’s owner and driver belong. So far, however, there is no evidence to connect Singh senior to either of the two.
The FIR, now replicated by the CBI, notes that Arun Singh and others were threatening the rape survivor’s family to try and pressure them into withdrawing the charges against Sengar.
“CBI is investigating the matter. Everything will be clear in the investigation. He is my relative there is no doubt it, but that is not a crime,” Ranvendra Singh said.
The teen alleges that she was raped by Sengar and his aides when she went to his house in 2017 on the promise of a job. The lawmaker was arrested in April last year but the trial is yet to start. The state administration was accused of going slow on the investigations against the powerful legislator.
After over a year of zero movement on the case, it resurfaced after the deadly car crash that the rape survivor’s family alleges was orchestrated by Sengar.
On July 12, the family had written to Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi alleging “grave danger” to their lives because of threats.
