Hyderabad gangrape case: BJP shares video; claims MLA's son involved
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shared a video clip and private pictures claiming that an MLA’s son was involved in the case of a minor’s alleged gang-rape in Hyderabad.
On Sunday (June 5), police arrested the fourth accused, also a minor, in the case, while the hunt is still on to nab the fifth accused, an adult.
Also read: Two, including son of TRS leader, arrested in Hyderabad teenage girl rape case
A 17-year-old schoolgirl was allegedly gang-raped in the Jubilee Hills area of Hyderabad after she went to a party organised by her classmates on May 28. A total of five accused have been booked so far.
On Saturday, Telangana BJP MLA M Raghunandan Rao addressed a press conference where he shared the video clip and pictures.
“As an MLA, it is not my job to investigate a crime. But, since I was challenged to provide evidence, here it is,” Rao told the media while presenting the purported video clip of the crime where four youths and a girl were seen, according to a Deccan Chronicle report.
— Raghunandan Rao Madhavaneni (@RaghunandanraoM) June 4, 2022
“As a lawyer, I am aware that there are restrictions when minors are involved in such a case. The identity of the minor girl cannot be made out from the clip but you can clearly see the son of the MLA. If this evidence is not enough, then I can provide to the DGP the full video, along with some photographs of all those accused in the car,” Rao added.
Later, speaking to NDTV, he said, “There is a sexual assault against the girl in the video which was presented for 10 seconds. There were four people in the red-coloured Mercedes but none of them was shown as accused by the police.
“Sexual assault can be seen in the video clearly. I have not shown the face of the girl or exposed her identity, taking all the precautions of the POCSO Act. The faces of the accused individuals, however, can be seen. Whether they are minor or not, let the court or police decide that. I have put forth the evidence before the police and the public. Now the police should determine if there was involvement of the MLA’s son.”
The Congress attacked Rao for sharing the video clip and questioned whether it was done for political gains.
Telangana Congress in-charge and MP Manickam Tagore wrote on Twitter, “It is common sense & also SC directive that a rape victim’s identity should be protected. A lawyer& BJP MLA Raghunandan today exposed video of the rape victim. Is it for politics or personal gains? @RaghunandanraoM is also the personal lawyer of MIM MP Owaisi #HyderabadRape (sic).”
One of the accused in the rape case is allegedly an MIM MLA’s son. By exposing the video, Raghunandan compromised both the case& safety of the victim & her family. Is it because of unholy nexus between TRS, BJP & MIM? Is their bond is more important than justice to a minor girl?
— Manickam Tagore .B🇮🇳✋மாணிக்கம் தாகூர்.ப (@manickamtagore) June 4, 2022
“One of the accused in the rape case is allegedly an MIM MLA’s son. By exposing the video, Raghunandan compromised both the case& safety of the victim & her family. Is it because of unholy nexus between TRS, BJP & MIM? Is their bond is more important than justice to a minor girl? (sic),” he said in another tweet.
Responding to the Congress, Rao hit back on Twitter by posting, “Why does @INCIndia always panic when their blood brothers MIM+TRS are in trouble ? Evidence has been put out to nail the lies of Police & force them to act on the involvement of MLA’s son in #HyderabadRape Looks like @manickamtagore, @inctelangana doesn’t want truth to come out (sic).”
Why does @INCIndia always panic when their blood brothers MIM+TRS are in trouble ?
Evidence has been put out to nail the lies of Police & force them to act on the involvement of MLA’s son in #HyderabadRape
Looks like @manickamtagore, @inctelangana doesn’t want truth to come out
— Raghunandan Rao Madhavaneni (@RaghunandanraoM) June 4, 2022
