On Sunday, the 27th July 2019, on the Bareilly-Unnao highway, a truck has a head-on collision killing two ladies, witnesses to a crime, and grievously injuring a lawyer, who was handling the case. The raped girl who was also travelling is grievously hurt too and escaped death, at least for the moment.
The DIG of UP police, even before an investigation had commenced, promptly termed the gruesome murder as a mere accident. The crime: a BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar allegedly stalked, harassed and raped a 16-year-old girl in 2017. The state police initially refused to file an FIR against the powerful MLA, which prompted the girl to attempt self-immolation before the UP-CM Yogi’s residence. The news of the crime was all over the nation then, and the CBI arrested the criminal MLA last year.
The MLA’s brother Atul brutally attacked her father for not withdrawing the complaint. Instead of being hospitalised, the police arrested the wounded father under the Arms Act but spared the brother of the MLA. The father succumbed to the wounds sustained, and a national furore erupted. His body bore deep wounds and sufferings all over.
An S.P. leader owned the truck with its number plates blackened. (Sengar was with S.P. before). The policemen left to ensure the safety of the girl shared her girl’s movements. The girl is in the ICU fighting for her life.
Dead people tell no tales. Therefore, I would suggest shifting her away to a safe hospital away from these criminals that the girl survives the accident. Second, throw the DIG out, for concluding that the collision was an accident and not a pre-conceived criminal plot. Lastly, BJP, posturing as a clean party must discard Sengar and the likes without thinking of consequences.
I saw a Hindi movie – Art.15 and such gory crimes of rapes and murders are regular in the badlands of UP. The deep-rooted malady – a nexus of recalcitrant and criminal politicians, the subservient police force and a vulnerable society torn by caste divisions, resulting in such repeated disregard for humanity must end. Sengar is a wicked animal, caught merely by accident or by bad luck, but there are many such prying wolves alive and kicking, among the silent and the suffering poor.
My heart goes to the girl, who has suffered an unfathomable tragedy and faces a dark future, the past likely to haunt her in these cruel, heartless badlands as long she lives. I fervently hope that CM Yogi fast tracks the case and ensure maximum punishment.
My eyes are dry, and I cannot even cry!
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix
