Unnao rape: CBI gets 7 day custody of accused lawmker, victim undergoes tests (Lead)
Lucknow, April 14: A special CBI court here on Saturday sent, to seven days CBI custody, rape accused Uttar Pradesh BJP legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar, while the medical examination of the 17-year-old victim was conducted at a hospital here earlier in the day.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had sought a 14-day remand but the court only allowed a week-long remand. The agency earlier got Sengar's medical examination done here.
Sengar, the lawmaker from Unnao's Bangamau, however continued to claim that he was innocent and told media persons before he was presented before the court that he had full faith in God and the judiciary.
Accused of raping a 17-year-old and conspiring to kill her father, who died of injuries he sustained while beaten brutally in police custody by Sengar's brother and some aides, was arrested by the CBI on Friday after a day-long interrogation. He was also confronted with some facts by the agency.
Woman Shashi Singh, who is accused of taking the girl to the legislator has also been arrested. Three cases have been filed against the party legislator under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.
Earlier, the victim, who along with her mother and uncle, were brought here under tight security in the morning, underwent tests at the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital.
The victim later told media persons that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Thursday statement that the guilty will be brought to book was very reassuring and that he now hoped that justice will be done in her case. She also said that the arrest of the accused legislator was also a positive development.
She also thanked the media and the CBI for taking up her battle that so far was a "lonely and losing battle".
However, her uncle accused the Unnao administration of conniving to save the legislator.
She was later taken to the CBI's zonal office where a detailed statement from her is likely to be recorded.
The victim tried to set herself ablaze outside Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence on last Sunday, claiming inaction in the rape case that took place in 2017.
Later on Sunday, her father was picked up by the police and allegedly beaten up in custody by the MLA's brother Atul Singh and his aides, following which he died in hospital.
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Karnataka Assembly passes bill on Palace Grounds amid opposition protest
Bengaluru, Mar 6 (PTI): The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed the Bangalore Palace (Utilisation and Regulation of Land) Bill, reaffirming state ownership over 472 acres and 16 guntas of land here, amid protests by the opposition BJP.
During the discussion, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the state government would have to provide Rs 200 crore worth of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) for each acre of land, which means that for 15 acres, Rs 3,000 crore worth of TDR would be issued.
“If we accept it, then this 2-km stretch of road will become the costliest road in the world. If we accept it then how are we going to develop the city in later stages? How will you carry out development works?” asked Patil.
He also pointed out that this question was raised not only under the Congress government but also during the previous BJP regime.
However, the BJP-led cabinet has opposed the project.
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“Suppose we agree to it then, what will be the valuation of the 472 acres? It will be lakhs and lakhs of crores of rupees. Can we accept?” Patil wondered.
The Minister said the government had previously exercised its executive powers to issue an ordinance, which was approved by the Governor. Now the government is bringing a bill with two amendments.
“In this bill, we have made provisions either to develop or drop the road development work,” Patil explained.
However, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and BJP MLA Arvind Bellad opposed the move, alleging that the government was targetting Yaduveer Krishna Datta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysuru royal family, and the BJP MP from Mysuru-Kodagu constituency out of political vendetta.
“We talk of 472 acres of Mysuru Maharaja but here there are many Maharajas who too own 400 acres, 500 acres and thousands of acres of land, which is known to everyone,” Bellad said.
He slammed the Congress government, saying political power should not be misused for personal vendetta.
“Why (the then Deputy Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah brought the law in 1996 pertaining to the Bangalore Palace? Why are you setting eyes on the Bangalore Palace?” he asked.
Vijayendra charged that Wadiyar won the election on BJP ticket so the state government realised that it should acquire it.
“This bill has been brought for political vengeance. We are not discussing whether Rs 3,000 crore is exorbitant or not but the moment Yaduveer became MP, the state government woke up. You should be ashamed. This house should not be used for political vendetta,” he said.
Intervening, Minister Priyank Kharge said Vijayendra should not have raised it because the intention behind building the road was noble.
According to him, the BJP too had the same plan when it was in power.
He sought to know whether thousands of crores of rupees be spent on a road which should have cost significantly less.
In response, BJP MLA B A Basavaraj (Byrathi) said issuing TDR will not be a burden on the state government and appealed to the ruling Congress to reconsider its stance.
Minister Ramalinga Reddy too explained that the Karnataka government acquired the entire land way back in 1996.
The Mysuru royal family went to the High Court, which gave ruling in favour of the state government. The royal family then approached the Supreme Court, where the case is still going on, the Minister pointed out.
“The final judgment is pending in the SC to decide whether the acquisition was right or wrong. If the SC says it’s the royal family’s property then let it be so. If the order is in the state government’s favour then we can take a decision. The bill is only about it,” Reddy explained.
Speaker U T Khader then called for a voice vote and the bill was passed by the Assembly amidst opposition BJP’s discontent.
