Lucknow: The BSP MLA arrested on charges of raping a Dalit minor has been lodged in the same jail as the victim. Questions are being now raised about the safety of the girl and the Opposition is demanding her release.
As Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati prepares to celebrate her birthday in a grand style yet again, the messiah of Dalits is bound to be affected by the controversy surrounding BSP MLA Purushottam Dwivedi, who has been accused of raping a Dalit girl.
In a curious twist, Dwivedi who was arrested on Thursday has been sent to the same jail where the victim has been lodged since December 14.
"Rather than protecting the dignity of the victim and doing justice to her, she is being put behind the bars and no bail is being allowed," said Congress spokesperson Manish Tewary.
There is only one jail in Banda district and victim was jailed for allegedly stealing Dwivedi's mobile phone.
While she has been lodged in the woman's cell of the jail complex, the influence that Dwivedi has in the area will be a concern.
Two police officials of the jail, Shahjahan Begum and Ramashankar Shukla, remained silent from the December 14 to 24, even after being told by the victim that she had been assaulted. The two officials have now confessed to this in their statement before the CB-CID.
The National Commission for SCs and STs and the National Commission for Women are now promising to take the girl’s plight to court on Monday. Incidentally, her bail plea also comes up for hearing the same day. This means that she will be spending the full weekend in the same jail complex, something that’s bound to add to the embarrassment for Mayawati.
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