Court discharges former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Senger in 2019 accident case of Unnao rape survivor
New Delhi, Dec 21: A Delhi court has discharged former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Senger and five others in the 2019 accident case of Unnao rape survivor, saying that prima facie no charges are made out against him.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ravindra Kumar Pandey discharged the accused observing that prima facie there is no evidence against the accused persons -- Senger, Komal Singh, Arun Singh, Gyanendra Singh, Rinku Singh and , Awdesh Singh.
The court however ordered framing of charges against four other accused --Ashish Kumar Pal, Vinod Mishra, Haripal Singh and Naveen Singh -- as there was prima facie sufficient evidence against them.
In its order passed on Monday, the court noted that the charge sheet did not find mention of any record or evidence regarding the criminal conspiracy between the accused persons ordered to be put on trial with the accused Sengar.
"Accused Ashish Kumar Pal is directed to be charged for offence punishable under section 304-A (causing death by negligence), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 279 (rash driving on a public way) of IPC and accused Vinod Mishra, Haripal Singh and Naveen Singh are directed to be separately charged for offence punishable under section 506(ii) (threat to cause death) of IPC, read with Section 34 (common intention) of IPC, the court said.
According to the prosecution, a truck rammed into the vehicle in which the Unnao rape victim was travelling to Rae Bareli with her two aunts and lawyer in July 2019.
While her aunts succumbed to their injuries, the rape survivor and her lawyer were grievously injured.
The order also noted that Sengar was in judicial custody during the period when the alleged threat was extended to the victim or her family members.
Admittedly the case of prosecution was that he conspired with the other accused to extend the threat to the victim or her family members and he himself not extended any threat, the court said.
On August 1, 2019 the Supreme Court transferred the case to Delhi from a trial court in Uttar Pradesh.
Besides, on December 20, 2019, Sengar was sentenced to jail for the remainder of his natural biological life in a separate case for raping the minor in 2017.
On March 4, 2020, Sengar, his brother, and five others were also convicted for the death of the rape survivor's father in judicial custody and were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Chhattisgarh journalist murder: Main accused Suresh Chandrakar nabbed from Hyderabad
Bijapur (PTI): Suresh Chandrakar, the prime accused in the murder of a journalist in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, has been arrested from Hyderabad by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), police said on Monday.
The accused, a contractor by profession, was absconding since the murder of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar came to light on January 3, they said.
The SIT, constituted to conduct the probe into the murder case, rounded up Suresh Chandrakar from Hyderabad late Sunday night, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P told PTI.
The accused was brought to Bijapur on Monday morning and his interrogation was underway, the official said.
Suresh Chandrakar's brothers Ritesh Chandrakar and Dinesh Chandrakar and supervisor Mahendra Ramteke have already been arrested in the case, he said.
Mukesh Chandrakar (33), a freelance journalist, went missing on January 1. His body was found on January 3 in a septic tank on a property owned by Suresh Chandrakar at Chattanpara Basti in Bijapur town, police earlier said.
The deceased worked as a freelance journalist for the NDTV news channel and also ran a YouTube channel, 'Bastar Junction', which has some 1.59 lakh subscribers.
A news report highlighting alleged corruption in a road construction work in Bijapur, that was shown on NDTV on December 25, is being discussed as the motive behind Mukesh Chandrakar's murder.
The said construction work was linked to contractor Suresh Chandrakar.
Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma had claimed that Suresh Chandrakar was a Congress leader. The opposition party, however, claimed the accused joined the ruling BJP recently.
Authorities have initiated action against the accused's illegal properties and encroachments. A construction yard built by Suresh Chandrakar after usurping forest land along the Bijapur-Gangaloor Road has been razed, local officials had said.
Police have also started the process to freeze the bank accounts of Suresh Chandrakar and other accused. So far, three accounts of Suresh Chandrakar have been put on hold.
Mukesh Chandrakar had played a crucial role in the release of CoBRA commando Rakeshwar Singh Manhas from Maoist captivity in April 2021 following the Takalguda Naxal ambush in Bijapur in which 22 security personnel were martyred.
The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) is a specialised jungle warfare unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
Members of the Mahar community on Sunday took out a candle march here to condemn the journalist's murder and demanded capital punishment for the accused.
On Saturday, journalists held a protest at the Raipur Press Club, demanding strict action against the accused.
