Lucknow (UP): Varanasi Police have apprehended DSP Amresh Singh Baghel late on Wednesday night from UP's Barabanki toll plaza on Lucknow-Sultanpur highway for having allegedly helped the Bahujan Samaj Party MP Atul Rai. The Lok Sabha MP is currently languishing in Naini jail on rape charges. It is known that the police officer was suspended for having testified in favour of the BSP MP in the court.
A girl from Ballia district had accused the MP from Ghosi Lok Sabha seat of Mau of raping her. According to the victim, Rai had called her on March 7, 2018, on the pretext of meeting her in his flat in Varanasi, wherein she was raped and the heinous act recorded. On May 1, 2019, the victim had filed a case of rape at the Lanka police station in Varanasi.
However, on August 16, the woman had set herself on fire outside the Supreme court's gate alleging that she was being harassed and targeted for fighting her case. The victim along with another had attempted self-immolation in front of the top court and were admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi in critical condition. After 9 days of treatment, both of them succumbed to their injuries.
Also read: Letter urges CJI to take suo moto cognizance of death of woman allegedly raped by BSP MP Atul Rai
Following the incident, advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava has written a letter to the Chief Justice of India, NV Ramana, requesting him to take Suo moto cognizance of the death of a woman.
"Before setting herself on fire, the said rape victim had recorded a Facebook live video wherein she had reportedly said that she had lodged a rape case against Atul Rai and further alleged that few senior IPS officers and a judge from Uttar Pradesh were part of the incident," read the letter.
As per the letter, Rai had raped the woman in Varanasi, filmed the assault and threatened to circulate it on social media. Later on, an FIR was lodged and the trial was going on.
Also read: BSP MP accused of rape surrenders in Varanasi court
