UP: Father of woman alleging rape by MLA dies in police custody, relatives say politician did it

The father of a woman, who had alleged that she was raped by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and his accomplices, died in police custody, on Monday.

An inquiry has been ordered and two police officers and four constablessuspended.

The woman's father was arrested on Sunday after the family attempted suicide outside Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's Lucknow residence.

"The man was admitted to the hospital last night after he complained of abdominal pain and vomiting. He passed away in the early morning hours. He was admitted to the hospital by the police," Dr Atul, District hospital, Unnao told ANI.

However, the relatives alleged that he was murdered in the jail by Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the BJP MLA from Unnao named as accused by the rape victim.

The woman and her family alleged that she was raped by the BJP MLA and his fellow accomplices on June 4 last year, but no action was taken.

The victim also said that she and her family were threatened after they had filed an FIR, which the Police had registered after stalling it for a year.

The family further alleged that the MLA's brother had thrashed the woman's father on April 3 for refusing to cancel the FIR, but the Police booked the father instead, and locked him up for a period of one year. Police have now arrested four persons accused of beating the father.

Sengar has denied the allegations and called it a conspiracy hatched by his political opponents.

"It's a conspiracy hatched by my political opponents to damage my reputation. I have no problems with any probe. Let a probe be conducted, and the guilty be given the stringent punishment. If I am found guilty in the probe, I am ready to face the punishment," Sengar told news agency PTI.

A probe into the rape case is underway and has been transferred to Lucknow.