Judicial probe into Banda Rape Case being considered
By ANIFriday, January 21, 2011
NEW DELHI - The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the Uttar Pradesh Government and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on a plea for a judicial probe into the Banda rape case involving Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Purushottam Naresh Dwivedi.
An apex court bench comprising Justices Aftab Alam and R M Lodha issued notices on a public interest lawsuit filed by advocate Raja Ram, who has sought an independent judicial probe into the incident.
Earlier on Monday, the apex court agreed to consider a plea for a judicial probe into the case.
An apex court bench of Chief Justice S H Kapadia decided to consider the desirability of a judicial investigation into the incident, as senior counsel Harish Salve, during the hearing of another plea linked to the issue of police reform, mentioned the incident, seeking an independent probe into it. he 17-year-old dalit girl stood by her allegations last Friday and claimed that Dwivedi raped her at his residence, along with three of his supporters.
She had also given a similar statement to a three-member team of National Commission of Women (NCW).
The girl was allegedly raped on December 10-11 at Dwivedi’s residence. She escaped from the MLA’s house on December 12, when he allegedly attempted to rape her for the third time and charged her with theft.
The MLA, who was on the run after orders for his arrest were issued, was taken into custody last Thursday.
The investigating officials, who conducted the preliminary inquiry, have found that Dwivedi had raped the teenager and framed her in a false theft case. (ANI)
