Banda rape: SC notice to UP, CBI

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notices to the UP government and the CBI seeking their response to a plea asking for a judicial probe into the alleged rape of a teenaged girl by BSP MLA Purushottam Naresh Dwivedi. A bench of Justice Aftab Alam and Justice RM Lodha sought the response to a public interest litigation filed by advocate Raja Ram.

The advocate has said that the authorities committed a grave error by foisting false cases on the girl who was a minor and entitled to protection under the Juvenile Justice Act. He said the girl should have been sent to a juvenile care centre and not jail. The Allahabad high court is to determine the girl’s age.

Raja Ram claimed in the petition that the police and judicial officers were trying to protect the MLA from Naraini constituency in Banda district.

Meanwhile, a court in Banda extended the judicial remand of Dwivedi and three others accused in the case by 14 days. Dwivedi, who was arrested on January 13, told mediapersons he would take revenge on political rivals who had framed him in the case. He had issued a similar threat last week.

With inputs from Agencies