Wife of rape accused BJP MLA seeks narco test, CBI probe

Agencies
April 11, 2018

Lucknow, Apr 11: Two days after the father of a woman, who alleged rape by a BJP MLA, died in custody in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, the politician's wife on Wednesday demanded a narco test on her husband and the survivor.

The 18-year-old woman, who had tried to kill herself outside the chief minister's house here, on the other hand alleged that she had been confined to a hotel room by the district administration and her uncle was killed by the MLA's brother and henchmen, who later also killed her father.

She said, "I want justice, why are they pressuring me for an apology? Do they want my (another) uncle to be killed too?"
A purported video also surfaced today and was being run on TV channels showing the alleged rape survivor's father before his death saying that he was mercilessly beaten up by the MLA's brother and others, including with rifle butts.

The video, purportedly shot at a hospital, showed the deceased person's back with serious wounds.

Meanwhile in the state capital, Sangeeta Sengar, wife of the MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, told reporters after meeting DGP OP Singh that there was a political conspiracy against her family and accused the complainant of not being consistent in her statements.

"We demand that a narco test be conducted on my husband and the girl as well as her uncle. This will help in ascertaining the truth and presenting the correct picture.

"We have full sympathy with the girl, as her modesty was outraged ... There are political reasons behind this and my husband has been made a pawn," Sangeeta Sengar said.

"My husband is innocent and it is my request that he should not be called a rapist. He has been in politics for the past 15 years and has been serving the society and people," she said, adding, her daughters were unable to concentrate on their studies in the wake of this incident.

She said the allegations against her brother-in-law Atul were false too.

On whether her husband should resign from the UP Assembly, she retorted, "Why should he quit even before he is declared guilty? Merely on the basis of charges, why should he resign?"
She said she wanted to meet chief minister Yogi Adityanath and apprise him of the facts.

Besides the MLA's wife, the alleged rape victim has also demanded a CBI probe in the entire matter.

The victim claimed that the district administration in Unnao had virtually confined her to a hotel room "without a phone or water and guards at every corner".

"I can't charge my mobile, there is no TV, no water. We are told we can't go outside," the girl told a TV news channel.
"We are told we can't go outside, there are guards at every corner. When we ask them for help, they say it isn't their job. Is this justice?" the girl said.

The MLA's brother Atul was arrested yesterday from Unnao by a crime branch team.

A special investigation team headed by additional director general of police (Lucknow zone) visited Makhi village of the rape victim and collected information to submit a report to the chief minister.

"The SIT team will probe on all the aspects of the case and act accordingly. Security has been provided to the victim's family," ADGP (Lucknow zone) Rajiv Krishna said.

TV news channels ran the comments made purportedly by the alleged victim's father before his death in which he claimed that he was mercilessly beaten up by the MLA's brother.

The Supreme Court said today it will hear next week the plea for a CBI probe into the case. The Allahabad high court has ordered that the deceased's body should not be cremated, if already not done so.

However, the mortal remains of the deceased were consigned to the flames yesterday, hours after his custodial death.

The Congress demanded the dismissal of Uttar Pradesh chief minister, dubbing his government a "Ravan" regime which has failed to protect women.

"Yogi Adityanath government is a government of Ravan, which has failed to protect women," Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said in New Delhi.

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News Network
November 14,2024

Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday backed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over his claim that the BJP had offered Rs 50 crore each to 50 Congress MLAs in an attempt to "topple" the state government.

Addressing reporters here, Shivakumar, also the Congress state president, said, “The BJP indeed lured 50 Congress MLAs with Rs 50 crore each.”

He defended Siddaramaiah’s statement and said the Congress MLAs were briefed about the BJP’s alleged 'Operation Lotus', a term used to describe the BJP's attempts to destabilise ruling governments through horse-trading.

“Some of our MLAs informed the Chief Minister about this matter, and he, in turn, shared it with the media,” Shivakumar said.

At an event in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah reiterated the claim that "none of the Congress MLAs had accepted the offer".

He also accused the BJP of filing false cases against him in a bid to "remove him and overthrow his government".

The BJP has yet to respond to the allegations.

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News Network
November 21,2024

netanyahu.jpg

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant over war crimes against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The court’s Pre-Trial Chamber I issued warrants of arrest for Netanyahu and Gallant "for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024, the day the Prosecution filed the applications for warrants of arrest”, it confirmed in a statement Thursday.

It is the first instance in the court's 22-year history it has issued arrest warrants for Western-allied senior officials.

In its statement, the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber I, a panel of three judges, said it has rejected appeals by Israel challenging its jurisdiction. 

The chamber said it has decided to release the arrest warrants because "conduct similar to that addressed in the warrant of arrest appears to be ongoing", referring to Israel's ongoing onslaught on Gaza.

Netanyahu and Gallant, it said, “each bear criminal responsibility” for “the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts,” as well as “intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population.”

All 124 states that signed the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the court, are now under an obligation to arrest the wanted individuals and hand them over to the ICC in the Hague. 

The court relies on the cooperation of member states to arrest and surrender suspects. The Netherlands' foreign minister quickly said his country was prepared to enforce the warrants while 93 nations earlier reiterated their support for the ICC.

Triestino Mariniello, a lawyer representing Palestinian victims at the ICC, called the warrants "a historic decision".

He noted that the court had endured "pressure and threats of sanctions" from the US government, but acted nonetheless.

As expected, the Tel Aviv regime rejected the rulings, with its security minister Itamar Ben Gvir calling the warrants “anti-Semitic through and through.”

The ICC said Israel’s acceptance of the court’s jurisdiction was not required.

Israel and its major ally, the United States, are not members of the court. 

Israel unleashed its bloody Gaza onslaught on October 7, 2023. So far, it has killed at least 43,985 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 104,092 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Israel faces an ongoing South Africa-led genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

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News Network
November 15,2024

Udupi: The Tourism Department is planning a major eco-friendly development initiative for Kamini Island, located near the Blue Flag-certified Padubidri End Point beach, aiming to attract more visitors while maintaining environmental sustainability.

Assistant Director Kumar CU emphasized that, given the island’s proximity to the Blue Flag beach, all development efforts will center around eco-friendly practices. “We are looking to enhance the Kamini River and the island’s surroundings by adding a hanging bridge, nature trails, and eco-friendly food courts offering traditional cuisine. Visitors will also be able to reach the island by pedal boats or kayaking,” he said.

The development project is estimated to cost between Rs 3 crore and Rs 4 crore. Meanwhile, the Blue Flag beach, Padubidri, continues to see a steady flow of visitors. Vijay Shetty, manager of the beach, shared that tenders for food courts and water sports have been awarded to private parties. Recently, three new coracles have been introduced, which are proving to be a hit with visitors. Additionally, three more shelters are expected to be ready by November 20.

Shetty mentioned that the beach can now accommodate between 2,500 and 3,000 visitors daily, although footfall remains lower than other district beaches due to user fees and activity restrictions. “Initially, most visitors were from Mangaluru, but now nearly 40% come from other districts, showing a shift in the visitor demographics,” Shetty noted.

To further boost tourism and promote a healthy lifestyle, a Beach Carnival is set to take place on November 23-24, featuring the National Sea Swimming Championship and a sea marathon in collaboration with the Padubidri JCI, which is celebrating its golden jubilee. Cultural events will be held at the main beach, with some sports events taking place at the Blue Flag beach. Emphasis will be placed on making all activities environmentally friendly.

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