Rape victim moves SC against Azam Khan

NEW DELHI: A 13-year-old girl who was dragged out of a car and gangraped near a highway in UP’s Bulandshahr district has approached the Supreme Court, demanding

NEW DELHI: A 13-year-old girl who was dragged out of a car and gangraped near a highway in UP’s Bulandshahr district has approached the Supreme Court, demanding action against Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan who said the incident could be a ‘political conspiracy’.

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The minor wants the trial of the gang rape case to be transferred to Delhi from Bulandshahr with the top court monitoring the investigation of the case.

Earlier this week, the main accused in the gang rape case, Saleem Bawariya, was arrested by Uttar Pradesh Police.

“Azam Khan…called a press conference and publicly insulted the petitioner by terming the entire incident as a political conspiracy and nothing else and thereby caused various acts and deeds being substantially outrageous to the modesty of the petitioner,” the minor’s plea said and sought registration of an FIR against the UP urban development minister.

The petition said such action has caused “serious and substantive infringement of the fundamental rights of the petitioner to live a lawful life, right to equality before law and right to civil liberty of the petitioner”.

The petition filed through advocate Kislay Panday said two similar incidents had occurred in the district on May 7 and May 12 this year. The same modus operandi was used in both the incidents — an object was thrown at a vehicle to stop it, the occupants led out at gunpoint and then robbed and assaulted.

The petition said the police on both the previous occasions had registered only cases of normal theft and failed the arrest the culprits. The petition, hence, sought direction for registration of FIR against the erring police officers.