M A I N   N E W S

Gangrape Case
Mayawati demands CBI probe
Shahira Naim
Tribune News Service

Lucknow, January 21
The madarsa gangrape case is turning into a major embarrassment for the Mulayam Singh Yadav government just before the Assembly elections as Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati today demanded a CBI probe into the case.

Angry residents also pelted stone at the Kareli police station demanding the immediate arrest of the guilty and transfer of SO Rajesh Singh who had not cooperated with the survivors in lodging an FIR. The SO has now been transferred.

The police has also arrested around half a dozen suspects. In the identity parade the survivors recognised at least one of them and were in two minds about two others.

Among the long list of political visitors to the madarsa was the former Chief Minister who rushed there today and spent considerable time with the survivors. She also gave a donation of Rs 5 lakh for the upkeep of the madarasa that mainly caters to poor Muslim women of the area.

Using the occasion to hit out at her main political rival the Samajwadi Party government, the BSP chief demanded the dismissal of the Yadav government and imposition of President’s rule.

According to her, “the law and order situation had hit an all-time low”. The government had failed miserably to protect the vulnerable sections of society, including women. “There is ‘jungle raj’ and the government is ‘hand-in-glove’ with the criminals,” she said

Assuring the survivors of writing to the President of India and Governor T.V. Rajeswar about the case, she promised not to sit still till she got justice for the survivors.

Accusing the CM of insensitivity in handling the case, she said when he was in the city on Saturday he had the time to visit the Ardh Kumbh Mela, but did not bother to spend a few moments with the survivors. Among the other high-profile visitors to the madarsa were senior Congress leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi and former CPM Member of Parliament Subhasini Ali.