Lucknow,January 13: BSP MLA Purushottam Naresh Dwiwedi, who is accused of raping a minor Dalit girl in Uttar Pradesh’s Banda district, has been arrested.
The 17-year-old victim was arrested on December 14 on a complaint of theft lodged by the MLA’s son. Earlier, two of his aides were arrested in connection with the case, officials said on Thursday.
“Rajendra Shukla and Surendra Neta, who are co-accused in the rape case of the minor girl were arrested in Banda district yesterday after an FIR was filed against them,” they said.
A case of rape was registered against the BSP MLA from Naraini seat and his three aides and orders were issued for their arrest yesterday in connection with the alleged criminal assault on a young dalit girl.
Soon after the state CB-CID submitted its preliminary report in the case, the Mayawati-led BSP government ordered registration of an FIR against the ruling party MLA and his three associates.
“On the directive of the chief minister, a case of rape has been registered against the MLA and his three aides,” Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh had said on Wednesday. Mayawati had also issued orders for immediate arrest of the legislator and three others, he had told reporters here.
The action followed soon after the CB-CID submitted its preliminary report which found Dwiwedi and his three aides prima facie guilty, Singh said. The Cabinet Secretary, however, said the theft charge on which, the 17-year-old girl belonging to the backward community, was arrested was found to be true.
“But we are not giving clean chit to anyone including the policemen. Stern action will be taken against all those found guilty,” he said.
On January 1, Mayawati had directed the CB-CID wing of Uttar Pradesh police to inquire into the girl’s allegations. The preliminary report said the girl from Banda had committed theft by taking Rs 5,000 in cash and a cellphone set from the MLA’s house, for which she is in jail.
The girl submitted her prayer applications before a court in Banda on January 10 and alleged that she was raped at the house of a ruling party MLA in Banda. The court then ordered the Banda district police to take immediate legal action.
–Agencies