Within an hour of registering three cases in connection with the Unnao incident, sleuths of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) picked up rape accused BJP MlA Kuldeep Singh Sengar for in-depth quizzing in the wee hours of Friday.
A CBI team also visted Unnao and quizzed several others including Unnao police and jail officials, doctors, witnesses and members of the victim’s family to gather evidence before officially announcing the arrest of the lawmaker.
“We have interrogated and tried to extract the reply of Sengar on some key allegations which included video/audio clip. Once we procure substantial evidence, we will go ahead with the arrest of the MlA and his henchmen,” disclosed a senior CBI officer engaged with the investigation.
A video of the girl’s father Pappu Singh prior to his death had gone viral and was also aired by several news channels. Pappu could be seen in the video alleging that he was mercilessly beaten up and mugged with rifle butts by the MlA’s brother Atul Sengar and others in the presence of police.
Sources said that the CBI was likely announced the MlA’s arrest sometime later on Friday night and would produce him in the designated court in lucknow on Saturdaynoon.
Besides the MlA, the CBI team grilled six suspended cops, incudling the SHO of Makhi police station in Unnao. The suspended Circle Officer and government doctors along with jail officials will be grilled by Friday night.
The CBI team also reached the Unnao hotel where the victim and her family have been kept to ensure their security. The sleuths recorded the victim’s statement along with that of other family members.
Sources said that soon after receiving the state government recommendation, officials at Department of Personal and Training (DoPT), Delhi, issued notification the same evening. Barely a few hours later, the CBI registered there separate FIRs and early Friday morning, they riaded Sengar’s house in Indiranagar and detained him for quizzing at the CBI regional office in lucknow.
The officials seized the MlA’s mobile phone to extract Call Detail Record (CDR) which could help them scan people he spoke on the fateful day and confirm his connections with other accused involved in the crime against the gang rape victim and her family.
Meanwhile, the victim’s family expressed satisfaction on the arrest of the MlA. “We are living in fear as the MlA’s aides, Arun Singh, Vinod Mishra, Santosh Mishra etc were at large and threatening us. We want Sengar and his goons behind bars. We also thank the media for supporting out fight against the MlA and his cronies,” thevictim’s sister said.
The first FIRs registered is regarding gang rape in which the MlA and a woman Shashi Singh have been named as accused, the second for the killing of Pappu Singh in judicial custody and the third against Pappu Singh in which an Arms Act was invoked against him.