UP:father of alleged rape and suicide victim died in hospital
He was in judicial custody after a complaint was filed by his daughter's alleged rapists
UTTAR PRADESH: The father of a woman, who had alleged rape and attempted suicide along with her family outside Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's home on Sunday, died this morning at the district hospital. He was in judicial custody after a complaint was filed by his daughter's alleged rapists, whose men reportedly beat him up last week.
An inquiry has been ordered, police said. Two police officers and four constables have also been suspended, while four persons accused of beating the woman's father have been arrested.
The 18-year-old woman had alleged that she was raped by Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the BJP legislator from Unnao,UP, and his brother last year, but the police refused to take any action against them. She also claimed that her family was threatened after they tried to file an FIR.
Last Tuesday, her father was allegedly assaulted by Sengar, his brother and their associates, but an FIR was filed against the woman's father and he was arrested. On Sunday, when the man complained of abdominal pain, he was taken to the district hospital where he died today.
"The incident happened while the man was in judicial custody. Magisterial inquiry will be conducted. If there have been lapses by the police, action will be taken," Deputy Inspector General of Police Pravin Kumar said.
Before attempting suicide, the woman had said that despite her family's pleas, no action was taken by the police. "I want all of them arrested otherwise I will kill myself. I had even gone to the chief minister with no result. When we tried to file a complaint, we were threatened," she claimed.
Sengar, who has been a leader with the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party earlier, has denied the allegations.
"It's a conspiracy hatched by my political opponents to damage my reputation... I have no problems with any probe. Let a probe be conducted, and the guilty be given the stringent punishment. If I am found guilty in the probe, I am ready to face the punishment," Sengar told news agency PTI.
Samajwadi Party leader Juhi Singh accused Yogi Adityanath's government of inaction which led to Mr Singh's death.
"The girl kept requesting for security for the family. But nothing was done. Insensitivity is rampant in this state. This is murder," she said.
An informed source said that District Magistrate Ravi Kumar N.G., after being ticked off by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, went to the post-mortem centre to seek first hand information.
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New trains to ease crowding on Namma Metro Purple-Green lines in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: Commuters on the crowded Namma Metro Purple and Green lines may soon get relief, as the Railway Board has issued provisional sanction for induction of new train sets, Deccan Herald reported.
The Railway Board communicated the provisional sanction to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) in a letter on April 1, raising hopes that additional trains could be deployed during peak hours by May-June.
According to the Railway Board, the approval comes with conditions, including a maximum speed of 80 kmph in fully inflated mode and 25 kmph in deflated mode of the secondary air spring.
The BMRCL will also need a separate sanction from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) by submitting the Independent Safety Assessment (ISA) report confirming the trains’ integration, operation, and compatibility with the Direct To Go (DTG) signalling and train control system for the Purple and Green lines.
The BMRCL has received three DTG trains, including a prototype delivered in January 2025, for the Purple and Green lines. The trains must pass 37 statutory clearances before entering passenger service.
The BMRCL had approached the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), under the Ministry of Railways, to conduct statutory trials related to oscillation, braking, speed and system integration tests for the trains. The CMRS will issue the final sanction after receiving the ISA certificate.
Officials said the ISA certification process is already underway, with new signalling software currently being tested. Final approvals are expected by May-June, after which the trains can be introduced into service.
The new trains have been supplied by China's CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Co Ltd, which will deliver a total of 21 trains for the Purple and Green lines in partnership with the West Bengal-based Titagarh Rail Systems Ltd (TRSL). Currently, the network operates with 57 trains supplied by BEML.
