Indian BJP lawmaker faces murder charge after rape victim's car crash

[muriel_volestrangler]

Police in northern India on Monday filed a murder case against a ruling party lawmaker accused of raping a teenage girl after a complaint by her family that he had attempted to kill her.

The 19-year-old was travelling in a car with her lawyer and two female relatives in Uttar Pradesh state late Sunday when a truck rammed their vehicle.

The girl and the lawyer were critically injured while her relatives died, police said.

Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state assembly, was accused of sexually assaulting the girl in 2017. He was arrested has been in jail pending the rape trial since last year.

https://www.iol.co.za/news/world/indian-bjp-lawmaker-faces-murder-charge-after-rape-victims-car-crash-30037169

Local police officer Rakesh Singh told BBC Hindi that the truck driver and owner of the vehicle have been arrested and taken in for questioning. Some reports suggest the vehicle's registration plate was smeared with black paint.
...
In April 2018, the girl attempted to set herself on fire outside the residence of state chief minister Yogi Adityanath, alleging that Mr Sengar had kidnapped and raped her.

A day later, her father died in prison. He had been allegedly assaulted by the lawmaker's brother, Atul Sengar, and his supporters a week before.

India's federal investigation agency took over the case last year and arrested Atul Sengar and 10 others on charges of murder.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-49148168