SIT inspects crime site Unnao, to submit first report soon: Police

LUCKNOW: A day after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered a SIT probe into the death of the Unnao alleged rape victim's father in police custody, the investigating team visited the site of the crime on Wednesday. The team further informed that they have spoken to both the victim's side and that of the accused. Information has been collected from local officers.

"SIT inspected the site of the crime. Talks were held with victim's side as well as that of the accused. Information has been collected from local officers as well. Further actions will be initiated after presenting preliminary report before the DGP," said DIG Pravin Kumar.

Amid the ongoing controversy in alleged gang rape case, Yogi Adityanath had directed the Home Department to ensure the visit of a special investigation team (SIT) to Unnao. He had also asked the team to submit its first report by Wednesday evening.

Calling the incident unfortunate, Adityanath had earlier said, "ADG Lucknow has been asked to probe the matter thoroughly. Those at fault, whoever they might be, will not be spared."

The man - father of the Unnao gang-rape victim who has alleged rape by BJP Bangarmau MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar - had on Monday died in died in police custody. Postmortem report blamed "shock and septicemia" as the cause of the death.

The woman's father, aged around 50, was rushed to a hospital from the district jail last night and died during treatment, officials said. He was arrested on April 5 under the Arms Act, they added.

Accused MLA Sengar's brother Atul Singh Sengar and four others – namely Sonu, Baua, Vinit and Shailu – have been arrested in the case so far. The MLA's brother had reportedly beaten the father of the alleged victim after he was arrested on April 5 under the Arms Act.

On Sunday, the woman - who has accused the MLA - had even tried to immolate herself along with her family outside Adityanath's office.

A defiant Sengar, however, claimed innocence and dismissed the charge as a conspiracy by his opponents and said the complainant belonged to a "low class". "There is no allegation against me, I am open to any kind of investigation. Strict action should be taken against the real culprit," said the BJP MLA.

The woman has alleged that Sengar and his associates raped her and that authorities had refused to register her complaint. She said she had been running from pillar to post for over a year, but that authorities had not paid her any heed. She attempted to set herself on fire twice - first outside Adityanath's residence, and then outside the Gautam Palli Police Station.