Mayawati has been facing one embarrassment after another with cases of abduction and sexual exploitation taking place virtually every day. Ironically, those responsible for this are not her rivals but her own footmen and lieutenants.
In the latest incident, a minor girl abducted from a village in Allahabad on January 19 was recovered by the police from higher education minister Rakesh Dhar Tripathi’s house in Allahabad four days later along with the accused. The 17-year-old Reena (name changed) had been taken to Surat and raped repeatedly by four boys.
For the past five days, the victim was detained at a police station under the pretext that her statement had to be recorded and she was to be medically examined. Family members have told the media that they were being threatened to compromise with the accused who allegedly enjoyed the support of the minister’s nephew Sunil
This is not the only incident involving ruling party leaders. BSP MLA Purushottam Dwivedi is the main accused in the Banda rape case. Another BSP legislature, Shiv Prasad Yadav, in Etawah is out to shield a principal charged with rape.
