Lucknow, January 17: The Banda rape turned murkier today with the warden of the district jail alleging that she was getting life threats from her senior officers for speaking against prime acused BSP MLA Purshottam Naresh Dwiwedi, prompting the state prison department to order an inquiry.
Shahnaz Begum alleged that during the course of CB-CID probe into the rape of a 17-year-old dalit girl girl by Dwiwedi and two of his aides, she was asked by her seniors to keep her mouth shut or face the consequences.
“I have been getting life threats from seniors, including the jailor and deputy jailor. I have also been removed from jail duty,” Begum, warden of Banda district jail where the rape victim was lodged for a month on theft charges, said.
Following her complaint, Additional Director General, Prisons, V K Gupta said that that an inquiry has been ordered into the matter.
Shahnaz was the lone jail staffer who spoke against the BSP MLA during the CB-CID probe. She also threatened to immolate herself to protest against her alleged harassment.
“Whatever I have said is true and I will stand by it. I now want myself to be transferred from here (Banda),” she told reporters in Banda.
“Though the allegation seems to be very vague as the jail warden had not conveyed her fear during the visit of National Commission for Women and even CB-CID, we have ordered an inquiry into it,” Gupta said.
He said that IG Prison, Yogesh Shukla has been asked to probe the allegations and submit his report to him by this evening.
A month after he allegedly raped the teenager, 48-year -old Dwivedi was arrested in Banda last week.
Dwivedi, who represents Naraini seat in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, was on the run after orders for his arrest were issued in connection with the criminal assault.
The girl was allegedly raped on December 10-11 at the legislators’s residence. She escaped from the MLA’s house on December 12 when the MLA allegedly attempted rape for the third time and was arrested same day on theft charges.
She told her brother about the incident when she was produced before the court on December 24 in connection with theft charges.
The girl levelled the rape charge before the court on January 10 and it ordered immediate action.
CB-CID submitted a preliminary report and subsequently the state government ordered arrest of the MLA and an FIR was lodged against him.
His two aides –Rajendra Shukla and Surendra Neta– have also been arrested in Banda district following an FIR against them and were remanded to judicial custody for 14 days by a Banda court. The third accused Ravan Garg is still absconding.
–PTI