BSP MLA accused of raping teenager absconding

Agencies

Lucknow, 13 January 2011: Purushottam Naresh Dwivedi, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA accused of raping a teenage Dalit girl, is absconding. The Mayawati government had on Wednesday ordered the arrest of Dwivedi in the alleged rape case.The order, though, came 20 days after the alleged incident even as the girl is still in jail on charges of theft.Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh on Wednesday said that the state government had decided to file an FIR against the MLA for rape and assault.

"BSP MLA Purushottam Dwivedi has been booked for rape and assault. CID has submitted its report. We will immediately arrest the MLA," Singh said on Wednesday.

But Singh also added that the victim had indeed stolen a mobile phone and some cash from the MLA’s house and so she has been arrested.

"She was arrested as she had stolen some cash and mobile phone from MLA’s house," he said. Moreover, the BSP has not expelled Dwivedi till now.

Two co-accused in the case Rajendra Shukla and Surendra have already been arrested. The action came hours after CB-CID, which is investigating the case, submitted its report to the Uttar Pradesh government confirming rape charges against the MLA.