Banda rape: Fourth accused surrenders
The fourth accused in the teenaged Dalit girl rape case surrendered before a Banda court on Tuesday.
Ravan Garg was the bodyguard of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislator Purushottam Dwivedi, who allegedly raped the 17-year-old Dalit girl from Banda.
The police said they are looking for the fifth accused in the case, who is a relative of the MLA.
On Sunday, released from jail, the victim, who was put behind bars on false theft charges, said she wants her tormentor to be hanged.
“He should be hanged. I am still living in fear and I need security,” the girl told reporters on Sunday.
Dwivedi was arrested on Thursday after a public outcry.
The arrested MLA, who said he had merely given shelter to the girl, even swore revenge against the opposition.
“He raped me, he wanted me to be his wife. I want justice now,” said the girl, who alleged that the police also did not take his complaint and instead assaulted her.
“I am not wrong and if I am not guilty, the world will be behind me finally,” she said.
The girl was freed from jail within hours of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati ordering her release.
“From the prima facie it seems that the girl was wrongly framed by the MLA in theft case… will constitute fast-track court to get justice… if the MLA is found guilty of raping the girl will act against the MLA,” said Maya on occasion of her birthday celebrations here.
The BSP chief brushed off allegations of inaction in the case by the Opposition and said the UP government will deal with the matter seriously.
“The CB-CID (Crime Branch of Criminal Investigation Department) is probing the case and the government will not take the matter lightly. The UP government is very serious about the matter,” said Maya.
She also defended her stand in the case and dumped criticism by Opposition who said Maya is more interested in spending her birthday lavishly, than respond to the Dalit girl?s woes.
“The Opposition and people are talking many baseless things about my birthday celebrations, this shows their attitude towards Dalit, the more they talk about my jewellery and clothes, my parents and well-wishers who have come to wish me, the more their fundamentalist mentality will be exposed,” the UP Chief Minister said.
The UP CM said policemen guilty of colluding with the MLA would also be punished.