UP MLA raped teen, framed her in theft case: Probe

A preliminary inquiry by the Crime Branch-Crime Investigation Department into the Banda rape case has found that Bahujan Samaj Party legislator Purushottam Naresh Dwiwedi had raped the teenager and framed her in a false theft case, official sources said on Tuesday.

"The CB-CID, which was asked to probe the matter by Chief Minister Mayawati, has completed a preliminary inquiry and is ready with its report," a senior official told PTI.

During preliminary inquiry, it was found that the 17-year-old girl was not only raped by the member of legislative assembly, but was also framed in a false theft case, the sources said.

The CB-CID team from Allahabad, which is probing the incident, has recorded statements of more that a dozen persons, they said. The agency has also raised fingers on the role of the Banda Police, which lodged a theft case against the girl and sent her to jail, the sources said.

The girl, who appeared before Civil Judge Ravi Kumar Gupta in Monday, alleged in her statement that Dwiwedi raped her twice while his aides teased her, prosecution sources said.

After recording the girl's statement, the court ordered the superintendent of police of Banda to take immediate legal action.

She alleged that no action was taken against Dwiwedi as the police was conniving with the MLA and his aides. The girl had given a similar statement to the three-member team of the National Commission of Women, which visited Banda on Monday.

"From whatever the girl has told the team, it seems that the atrocity was committed against her and the administration committed laxity in ensuring justice," team member Sarla Arya had told reporters.

She said the girl told the team that Superintendent of Police Anil Das 'pressurised' her to change her statement and despite her resistance, took her thumb impression on a blank paper.

"In her statement, the girl has repeated allegations of rape and molestation against the BSP MLA and his aides," Arya said.

The BSP has already suspended Trivedi from the party till the completion of the probe.