Unnao%20Rape%20case%3A%20CBI%20proposes%2C%20Uttar%20Pradesh%20Govt%20disposes

For%20a%20change%2C%20the%20country%u2019s%20premier%20investigation%20agency%2C%20CBI%2C%20%26nbsp%3Bhas%20very%20dutifully%2C%20fixed%20the%20responsibility%20for%20serious%20lapses%20on%20some%20IAS%20and%20IPS%20officers%2C%20who%20displayed%20complete%20apathy%20towards%20the%20plight%20of%20a%20rape%20survivor%2C%20whose%20father%20was%20also%20subsequently%20beaten%20to%20death%20by%20the%20accused%2C%20a%20powerful%20ruling%20BJP%20MLA%20Kuldeep%20Singh%20Sengar%20in%202018%20in%20Unnao%20district%20of%20Uttar%20Pradesh.

However%2C%20what%20seems%20to%20be%20emerging%20now%20is%20whether%20the%20UP%20government%20is%20serious%20about%20initiating%20any%20serious%20action%20against%20the%20%u201Cguilty%u201D%20senior%20officials%2C%20three%20of%20whom%20happen%20to%20be%20women%20themselves%3F

More%20than%20three%20weeks%20have%20passed%20since%20the%20CBI%20sent%20its%20recommendation%20to%20the%20state%20government%20for%20suitable%20action%20against%20the%20then%20Unnao%20district%20magistrate%20Aditi%20Singh%20and%20two%20successive%20district%20superintendents%20of%20police%20Neha%20Pandey%20and%20Pushpanjali%20Devi.%20Perhaps%20it%20was%20gathering%20dust%20in%20the%20state%20secretariat%20and%20would%20have%20gone%20unnoticed%20if%20the%20story%20had%20not%20hit%20the%20headlines%20in%20prominent%20dailies%20of%20Lucknow.

%u201CCBI%u2019s%20letter%20has%20been%20received%20by%20the%20state%20government%3B%20now%20we%20will%20issue%20a%20show-cause%20notice%20to%20each%20of%20the%20officers%2C%20who%20will%20be%20given%20some%20time%20to%20give%20their%20explanation%3B%20the%20state%20government%20will%20take%20a%20call%20only%20after%20that%20whole%20exercise%20is%20completed%2C%22%20Avanish%20Kumar%20Awasthi%2C%20additional%20chief%20secretary%20%28Home%29%20told%20this%20scribe.%26nbsp%3B

Meanwhile%2C%20each%20of%20the%20officers%20have%20got%20their%20routine%20promotions%20and%20have%20been%20enjoying%20plush%20postings.

Thanks%20to%20CBI%u2019s%20concerted%20efforts%2C%20the%20case%20could%20be%20taken%20to%20its%20logical%20conclusion.%20And%20that%20could%20happen%20only%20after%20the%20case%20was%20transferred%20from%20UP%20to%20a%20special%20fast-track%20court%20in%20Delhi.%20The%20culprit%20BJP%20MLA%20Kuldeep%20Singh%20Sengar%20was%20awarded%20life%20sentence%20and%20he%20is%20now%20in%20jail.

While%20the%20girl%u2019s%20family%20and%20even%20their%20lawyer%20was%20continuing%20to%20face%20all%20kinds%20of%20intimidation%20and%20even%20attacks%20by%20the%20politician%u2019s%20goons%2C%20the%20IAS%20and%20IPS%20officers%20concerned%2C%20who%20turned%20a%20blind%20eye%20to%20his%20misdeeds%20and%20a%20deaf%20ear%20to%20the%20victims%u2019%20appeals%2C%20were%20cooling%20their%20heels%20in%20cushy%20places.

IAS%20officer%20Aditi%20Singh%20was%20currently%20DM%20of%20Hapur%20district%20in%20the%20neighborhood%20of%20the%20national%20capital.%20IPS%20officer%20Neha%20Pandey%20was%20on%20a%20prized%20deputation%20to%20the%20Intelligence%20Bureau%2C%20while%20her%20successor%20Pushpanjali%20Devi%2C%20was%20promoted%20as%20DIG%20and%20was%20holding%20a%20much%20desired%20posting%20in%20GRP%20at%20Lucknow.%20The%20fourth%20officer%20Ashtbhuja%20Singh%20%28also%20indicted%20by%20CBI%29%2C%20who%20was%20additional%20SP%20of%20Unnao%20at%20the%20time%20of%20the%20incident%2C%20got%20elevated%20to%20the%20IPS%20cadre%20and%20was%20currently%20commanding%20a%20PAC%20battalion.

All%20these%20officers%20were%20clearly%20so%20much%20under%20the%20undue%20influence%20of%20the%20MLA%20that%20none%20of%20them%20cared%20to%20take%20any%20cognizance%20of%20the%20repeated%20complaints%20and%20appeals%20made%20by%20the%20rape%20survivor%20and%20her%20family%20members.

Far%20from%20ordering%20any%20action%20against%20the%20MLA%2C%20who%20was%20notorious%20for%20his%20goondaism%20and%20feudal%20oppression%2C%20these%20officers%20went%20to%20the%20extent%20of%20diluting%20the%20case%20against%20Sengar%2C%20by%20simply%20booking%20him%20for%20%u201Ckidnapping%u201D.

According%20to%20a%20top%20CBI%20source%2C%20%u201CIt%20was%20quite%20evident%20that%20none%20of%20these%20officers%20cared%20to%20listen%20to%20the%20tale%20of%20woe%20of%20the%20poor%20girl%20and%20her%20family%20members%20who%20left%20no%20stone%20unturned%20to%20get%20an%20audience%20with%20both%20DM%20and%20SP%20on%20several%20occasions.%u201D%20CBI%20was%20of%20the%20view%20that%20other%20than%20passing%20the%20buck%20between%20them%2C%20the%20DM%20and%20SP%20did%20nothing.%20%u201CIt%20seemed%20that%20each%20of%20them%20were%20more%20keen%20on%20obliging%20the%20ruling%20party%20MLA%20Sengar%2C%20whose%20clout%20with%20the%20ruling%20dispensation%20was%20an%20open%20secret%2C%22%20alleged%20the%20source.

He%20felt%2C%20%u201CThe%20senior%20officials%20could%20have%20been%20well%20within%20their%20rights%20not%20to%20outrightly%20push%20for%20a%20FIR%20against%20the%20MLA%3B%20but%20under%20the%20general%20guidelines%20issued%20in%20a%20case%20by%20the%20Supreme%20Court%2C%20the%20least%20they%20could%20have%20done%20was%20to%20give%20a%20week%20or%20two%20weeks%u2019%20time%20to%20do%20a%20preliminary%20inquiry%20before%20taking%20any%20decision%20to%20register%20or%20not%20register%20the%20FIR.%u201D%26nbsp%3BHe%20lamented%20that%20none%20of%20the%20officers%20cared%20to%20even%20order%20such%20a%20preliminary%20probe.%20%u201CAnd%20that%20was%20what%26nbsp%3Bspeaks%20volumes%20of%20their%20apathy%20towards%20the%20complainant%20and%20an%20obvious%20soft%20corner%20for%20the%20accused%2C%22%20he%20pointed%20out.

On%20the%20contrary%2C%20case%20after%20case%20was%20lodged%20against%20the%20rape%20survivor%u2019s%20uncle%20%28%u2018chacha%u2019%29%2C%20who%20had%20right%20from%20the%20beginning%20mustered%20up%20courage%20to%20fight%20the%20might%20of%20this%20%u2018bahubali%u2019%20MLA.

As%20for%20the%20girl%u2019s%20father%2C%20Sengar%20moved%20heaven%20and%20earth%20to%20not%20only%20dissuade%20him%20from%20lodging%20a%20complaint%20against%20his%20misdeeds.%26nbsp%3B%20He%20was%20beaten%20black%20and%20blue%20while%20he%20was%20on%20his%20way%20to%20get%20his%20statement%20recorded%20before%20the%20court%20where%20the%20survivor%u2019s%20mother%20had%20moved%20an%20application%20on%20her%20behalf%20under%20section%20156%20of%20IPC%20to%20initiate%20criminal%20proceedings%20against%20Sengar.%20The%20poor%20old%20man%20was%20dragged%20in%20an%20unconscious%20state%20from%20the%20village%20outskirts%20to%20his%20house%20in%20full%20view%20of%20villagers%20and%20the%20cops.%20His%20wails%20and%20cries%20drew%20his%20wife%20and%20daughter%2C%20who%20once%20again%20did%20their%20bit%20to%20draw%20the%20attention%20of%20the%20DM%20and%20SP%2C%20who%20just%20gave%20them%20a%20perfunctory%20audience%2C%20without%20ordering%20any%20action%20whatsoever.

On%20the%20contrary%2C%20the%20helpless%20father%20was%2C%20ironically%2C%20booked%20under%20section%2025%20of%20the%20Arms%20Act%2C%20which%20is%20more%20often%20than%20not%2C%20used%20by%20UP%20cops%20to%20implicate%20innocent%20people.%20And%20sure%20enough%2C%20the%20father%20was%20sent%20to%20jail%2C%20where%20he%20succumbed%20to%20his%20injuries%20over%20the%20next%20four%20days.%20CBI%20has%20also%20discovered%20that%20when%20the%20jail%20authorities%20sought%20to%20shift%20the%20father%20to%20the%20local%20district%20hospital%20as%20he%20had%20suffered%20grievous%20injuries%2C%20Sengar%20once%20again%20came%20in%20the%20way%20to%20prevent%20the%20badly%20wounded%20man%20from%20getting%20treatment.

What%20has%20surprised%20CBI%20most%20was%20the%20fact%20that%20even%20the%20blatantly%20repeated%20atrocities%20committed%20on%20the%20rape%20survivor%u2019s%20entire%20family%20failed%20to%20move%20the%20DM%20or%20SP%2C%20who%20always%20chose%20to%20look%20the%20other%20way.

It%20was%20only%20after%20the%20incident%20came%20into%20the%20media%20spotlight%20following%20an%20attempt%20by%20the%20girl%20to%20immolate%20herself%20before%20the%20chief%20minister%u2019s%20residence%20in%20Lucknow%2C%20that%20it%20apparently%20caught%20the%20attention%20of%20the%20prime%20minister%u2019s%20office.%20Within%20no%20time%2C%20CBI%20moved%20in%20to%20take%20over%20the%20case%20from%20the%20state%20police.%20In%20the%20next%20few%20hours%20CBI%20sleuths%20arrested%20Sengar%2C%26nbsp%3B%20whom%20the%20state%20police%20had%20been%26nbsp%3B%20busy%20describing%20as%20%u201Cabsconding%u201D%20even%20as%20he%20was%20seen%20loitering%20around%20freely%20in%20Lucknow.

Evidently%2C%20had%20it%20not%20been%20for%20CBI%2C%20perhaps%20Sengar%20would%20have%20enjoyed%20complete%20immunity%20and%20may%20have%20got%20away%20with%20a%20mild%20sentence.

But%2C%20whether%20the%20UP%20government%20will%20pay%20any%20heed%20to%20CBI%u2019s%20recommendation%2C%20with%20a%20view%20to%20sending%20a%20strong%20message%20to%20a%20laid%20back%20bureaucracy%20and%20a%20visibly%20corrupt%20and%20inefficient%20police%20force%2C%20remains%20a%20million%20dollar%20question.

%26nbsp%3B%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23CBI%22%20data-user-id%3D%22QukEgfyZhmT2%22%20href%3D%22/topic/cbi%22%3E%23CBI%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23UttarPradesh%22%20data-user-id%3D%228fpxFfZw7Hfa%22%20href%3D%22/topic/uttar-pradesh%22%3E%23UttarPradesh%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23Police%22%20data-user-id%3D%22mfb9JdUrEgum%22%20href%3D%22/topic/police%22%3E%23Police%3C/a%3E%26nbsp%3B