E-Paper
Unnao rape co-accused Shashi Singh sent to 4-day CBI custody
Shashi Singh was arrested based on the complaint of the victim’s mother who said Singh took her daughter to prime accused Kuldeep Singh Sengar’s residence, where the girl was allegedly raped.
A Lucknow court on Sunday sent the co-accused in the Unnao rape case, Shashi Singh, to four-day CBI custody, a day after she was arrested.
Additional chief judicial magistrate Sunil Kumar gave the order at a trial where no lawyer came to represent Singh who is facing charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The counsel for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had demanded a 10-day remand.
Singh was arrested based on the complaint of the victim’s mother who said Singh took her daughter to prime accused Kuldeep Singh Sengar’s residence, where the girl was allegedly raped. Singh is also accused of keeping watch outside the room when Sengar was raping the girl.
Sengar, who is a BJP legislator, is CBI custody for seven days and also faces charges under the Pocso Act.
The CBI is likely to take Sengar and Singh to Unnao for further investigation.
“No investigation has been carried out in the case as yet. We are busy lodging FIRs and making arrests. Investigation will begin once we are through with this process,” said a CBI officer who did not wish to be named.
Sengar is a four-time MLA – once from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), twice from the Samajwadi Party (SP) and presently from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – and wields considerable clout in the Unnao region.
