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Ayodhya SP leader, employee arrested for minor girl’s gangrape
The crime came to light when the survivor’s family found out that she was pregnant and approached police to lodge a FIR against the two on Wednesday.
A Samajwadi Party (SP) leader in Ayodhya and an employee of a bakery owned by him were on Thursday arrested for the gangrape of a minor girl.
The crime came to light when the survivor’s family found out that she was pregnant and approached police to lodge FIR against the two on Wednesday. The allegations prompted immediate action from the police.
Ayodhya senior superintendent of police (SSP) Raj Karan Nayyar said Moid Khan, who is the SP’s city president in Bhadrasa, raped the girl on multiple occasions and even recorded the assault.
Ayodhya MP and SP leader Awadhesh Prasad, meanwhile, claimed ignorance of Khan’s actions and avoided media inquiries on the matter. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath described members of the SP as ‘threats to women’s safety’ during the ongoing monsoon session of Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday.
“Over the next two and half months, Khan continued to sexually abuse the girl and used a video of the assault to intimidate and threaten her. Khan committed these acts with the assistance of Raju Khan, an employee at his bakery. The situation came to light when the minor was found to be pregnant,” a press issued by the state government stated.
Another senior police official said the crime, which occurred in the Bhadarsa town under jurisdictional limits of the Pura Kalandar police station, was discovered when the girl’s family sought medical help for her abdominal pain, leading to the confirmation of her pregnancy. He said the police filed a report against the accused under charges of gang rape and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act following the family’s complaint. Both Moid and Raju were arrested and sent to jail, he added.
SSP Nair stated that the survivor’s father had passed away two years ago, leaving her family to be supported solely by the earnings of her mother and sisters who worded as daily wagers. According to the allegations, about two and half months ago, Raju told the girl that Moid wanted to see her. When she went to him, Moid assaulted her.
It is alleged that the SP leader raped her even as Raju recorded them on his mobile phone. Following this, Raju also allegedly engaged in sexual activity with her. This pattern of abuse continued, with both men repeatedly assaulting the minor girl for weeks.
Police outpost on accused’s property
The Bhadrasa police outpost of Pura Kalandar police station is reportedly housed on a property owned by Moid Khan. The girl’s mother approached the police outpost, but her complaints purportedly remained unheard for around two days. Action is likely against the outpost in-charge and other police personnel delayed response in the matter.
