The former BJP leader is accused of taking her daughter on trips where she compelled the minor to consume alcohol and engage in sexual activities.
Days after the arrest of a 37-year-old expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) district leader, along with her boyfriend and his associate, in connection with the gang rape and sexual exploitation of the woman’s 13-year-old daughter, police reported on Friday that the minor had been gang-raped at least eight times, allegedly in the presence of her mother.
The former BJP leader is accused of taking her daughter on trips where she compelled the minor to consume alcohol and engage in sexual activities. She even informed her daughter that "this was a normal way of living," according to a senior police officer who requested anonymity.
"The minor informed the police that she was gang-raped eight times, each time in the presence of her mother. The first incident occurred inside a car in January. The abuse persisted at various locations, including hotels in Agra and Vrindavan during their trips, until March. She was also assaulted in a hotel in Haridwar that was rented under the name of the woman and her boyfriend. During their trips, the woman would force her daughter to drink alcohol, after which her boyfriend and his aide would gang-rape the minor in her presence," stated station house officer Kamal Mohan Singh Bhandari.
"The woman had been estranged from her husband and had been living separately since January," he added. Bhandari remarked, "She would tell her daughter that such actions were normal. When the minor once expressed her intention to inform her father about the abuse, she threatened to kill her." The minor ultimately revealed her suffering to her father after enduring months of abuse, police reported, noting that the father subsequently reported the incident to the authorities.
In response to the complaint lodged by the father of the minor, a case was registered on Tuesday under sections 70 (2) (gang rape), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), and 3(5) (criminal act by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with the pertinent sections of the Pocso Act, according to police reports.
On Wednesday, law enforcement apprehended the woman and her boyfriend in Haridwar, as well as his associate in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. All three individuals are currently in judicial custody, the police confirmed.
"We are conducting a thorough investigation. We intend to interrogate the staff of the hotels at various locations where the accused resided during their travels," stated Bhandari. The medical report has also verified the sexual exploitation of the girl, according to police statements. On Wednesday, the BJP expelled the district leader from its ranks. In a sharp critique of the BJP, the Congress party claimed that the incident revealed the "hollowness of the BJP’s slogan of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign."
"This is a troubling case. A fair and high-level investigation must be conducted," remarked state Congress vice president Suryakant Dhasmana.
"She was relieved of all duties and positions in August 2024 due to her inactivity and failure to fulfill her responsibilities adequately. She has now been expelled from the party’s primary membership with immediate effect," stated BJP leader Ashutosh Sharma.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)