Ayodhya rape case: ‘Accused Samajwadi Party leader had committed similar crimes earlier’ | Lucknow News

AYODHYA: A three-member BJP delegation on Sunday met the 12-year-old rape survivor and her family members here and urged the state government to increase the compensation to the girl’s kin from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh.
Rajya Sabha MP Sangeeta Balwant Bind, who was part of the delegation, said her blood boiled when she heard the girl’s ordeal and alleged that the accused had committed similar crimes earlier too.
The team held a “detailed discussion” with the girl’s family members at her home and gathered information about the incident.
The BJP delegation also included Rajya Sabha MP Baburam Nishad and UP Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Welfare of Backward Classes Narendra Kashyap.
A report on the matter will be submitted to K Laxman, the national president of BJP’s OBC Morcha, Nishad said after the meeting.
BJP leaders including Adityanath have alleged that Moid Khan, the main accused in the gang rape case, is a member of the Samajwadi Festival (SP) and part of the team of Faizabad MP Awadhesh Prasad.
“During our meeting, the girl’s mother narrated some details of the incident to us. When we heard the story of the ordeal, our eyes filled with tears and at the same time our blood boiled. We were angry as the Samajwadi Party supported the person who committed such a heinous crime,” Bind told PTI after meeting the girl and her family members.
The Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh also claimed that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stood by the girl like her father.
She added that the rape survivor’s father had died and the mother, a factory worker, was caring for her three daughters and son.
“We also came to know that the crime was committed by the ‘nagar adhyaksh’ (city unit president) of the Samajwadi Party and another person was involved in the case, who was making videos and blackmailing her. After talking to some villagers, it was revealed that the ‘nagar adhyaksh’ of the SP had also committed similar crimes earlier,” Bind alleged.
The BJP delegation urged Chief Minister Adityanath to increase the financial assistance provided by the state government to the girl’s family from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh, Nishad told PTI.
Adityanath had extended financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the rape survivor’s family and the cheque was handed over to the family on Saturday by Bikapur MP Amit Singh Chauhan.
“We had a detailed discussion with the mother of the rape victim and others to gather information about the incident,” Nishad said.
“Whatever action needs to be taken from the government side, it is being taken. We have also collected other information about him (accused Moid Khan). We will go deep into the matter and conduct an investigation,” he added.
He said the rape victim’s family was “satisfied” with the government’s action against the accused.
Speaking about his meeting with the rape victim at the hospital, Nishad said: “She is a very innocent girl.”
Quoting doctors, he said: “The girl is in critical condition and doctors are giving her the best possible treatment.”
Asked about the possibility of shifting the minor to a better facility in Lucknow or Delhi, Nishad said, “We have told them (doctors) that if they feel that it (medical treatment) is beyond their control, then without any delay, the girl should be shifted to a higher level centre.”
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, state minister Kashyap said, “We have spoken to the mother (of the rape victim) and collected information. The delegation assured them that the government will do everything possible to ensure that the family gets justice. The criminal involved in such a heinous crime will not be spared.”
He also said the family was “pleased” with the action taken by the government, but there was some fear.
“We will request the authorities to ensure the safety of the family so that there is no climate of fear within the family,” Kashyap said.
He also accused the SP of engaging in political maneuvering around the “heinous” crime and said: “The SP should have condemned it and stood by the family (of the survivor). Instead, they talked about the DNA test (of the accused).”
Earlier, speaking to reporters after meeting the rape victim’s family, Nishad said, “The Uttar Pradesh government will not spare the ‘duraachaaree’ (evil people) who committed this crime.”
He said it was “regrettable” that SP leaders were supporting the criminals.
“They (SP leaders) cannot hear the girl’s voice and pain. Akhilesh Yadav is talking about DNA tests (of the accused),” he added.
Sharpening his attack on the SP chief, the MP said, “Akhilesh Yadav, you are talking about public display of affection (PDA) and you cannot hear the pain of a girl belonging to the fishermen community?”
The SP had coined the ‘PDA’ – Picchde (backward), Dalit, Alpasankhyak (minorities) – to counter the NDA in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
The MP also accused Moid of committing several crimes before, adding that he had tried to “cover them up using the power of money and muscle power.”
“We will denounce these evil people. Such action will be taken that many generations will remember us,” he added.
On July 30, police arrested Moid, who ran a bakery in Bhadarsa Nagar in Ayodhya district, and his employee Raju Khan, in connection with the rape of the minor.
According to the police, Moid and Raju had raped the girl two months ago and had also filmed the act. The incident came to light after a medical examination revealed that the girl was pregnant.
“This is a case from Ayodhya. Moid Khan is from SP and is a member of the Ayodhya MP’s team. He was convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl. The Samajwadi Party has not taken any action against him,” Adityanath had said in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Thursday.
The chief minister had met the girl’s family last week.
The Ayodhya district administration demolished Khan’s ‘illegal’ bakery on Saturday.
(The victim’s identity has been withheld to protect her privacy in accordance with Supreme Court guidelines on sexual assault cases.)