BJP MLA sympathises with Unnao rape accused legislator

A BJP legislator sympathised with MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, accused of raping a minor girl and killing her two aunts, and expressed his “best wishes” for him to overcome his “difficult times”.

Days after Sengar, a four-time legislator, was expelled from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Hardoi MLA Ashish Singh Ashu was caught on camera, hoping Sengar comes out of jail soon. A video clip of his remarks has surfaced online.

“Our brother Kuldeep Singh could not be here among us today as he is going through difficult times. Our best wishes are with him. We hope that he will overcome the bad times, fight through it and come out of it and be with all of you to lead you,” Ashu was heard saying in the video made at a panchayat meeting in Unnao on Friday. “Wherever we are, our best wishes are with him.”

Sengar is accused of raping a girl at his residence in Unnao district in 2017 when she was 17 years old. A case was registered after she tried to immolate herself outside the residence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in April last year. A day after the self-immolation bid, her father died in police custody.

Also Read: Unnao rape accused MLA’s aide ‘bribes’ cop, police probe video

On July 27, when the girl, her two aunts and her lawyer were going to meet her uncle at Rae Bareli jail, their car was hit by a truck. One of her aunts, who was a witness in the rape case, died in the collision. She and her lawyer are admitted in a Lucknow hospital.

Her uncle has been in jail in a two-decade old case for allegedly beating Sengar’s brother. The rape survivors family alleges that the truck-car collision was a deliberate attempt to kill her. Following an outrage over the collision, the UP government handed over the case to the CBI. The central agency is now investigating all the five Unnao cases, including the rape case.

The Supreme Court is hearing the matter and on Friday it deferred its decision whether to transfer the case filed after road crash to a Delhi court. On Monday, the apex court will pass orders on whether the woman should be moved to AIIMS hospital in Delhi for better treatment.

Victim developed pneumonia, still critical: Doctors

Meanwhile, doctors attending the rape victim said that she has developed pneumonia and remains in a critical condition.

The 19-year-old is still on life support but her lawyer, who too was injured when their car was hit by a truck in Rae Bareli district on July 27, is breathing without ventilator, King Georges Medical University Trauma Centre incharge Sandeep Tiwari said.

Because of pneumonia, she has fever and is also being given medication to control her blood pressure, Tiwari said. She is being given oxygen through a tube inserted in the windpipe. Her condition is stable but not out of danger, he said.

The lawyer has suffered injuries in his head and cannot be described as out of danger, Tiwari said, adding that KGMU is fully equipped to provide best treatment to the two patients. The woman and her lawyer are under round-the-clock observation, doctors said.