Indian politician accused of raping woman and murdering her aunts, after victim’s father dies in police custody

Mass protests as teenager remains in critical condition

An Indian politician and more than 20 of his aides are under suspicion of murder, attempted murder and criminal conspiracy after a woman who accused the legislator of rape was hit by a truck.

Detectives have lodged a case naming Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his aides as suspects in the young woman’s attempted murder.

She was in a car with her lawyer and two female relatives on Sunday when the vehicle was hit by a truck in a head-on collision.

The lawyer is in a stable condition in hospital but the two relatives, one of whom was a witness in a related case, both died.

The 19-year-old girl is currently in a critical condition in hospital, according to The Hindustan Times.

She was 17 in 2017 when she was allegedly raped twice by Mr Sengar, a member of the state’s legislative assembly for Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The case came to prominence in April 2018 when the girl attempted to set herself on fire outside the residence of Yogi Adityanath, the BJP chief minister of the state, accusing police of failing to act.

A day later, her father – who had brought the case to police on her behalf – died in hospital after he was beaten, allegedly by a group of men including Mr Sengar’s brother.

The woman’s family said they believed Mr Sengar, who is in prison awaiting trial for the rape charge, was behind Sunday afternoon’s crash.

“I have got to know that [Mr Sengar] got it done,” her mother told reporters, according to NDTV.

“[He] is in jail but his men aren’t. He and his men were threatening us ... We want justice.”

India‘s Central Bureau of Investigation has taken control of the case, which has triggered mass protests in the country.

Opposition groups have blamed the BJP for protecting Mr Sengar.

“Why do we give people like Kuldeep Sengar the strength and protection of political power and abandon their victims to battle for their lives alone?” Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a leader of the main opposition Congress party, asked on Twitter.

She called on India’s prime minister to sack the lawmaker, who has been in jail since April 2018 over the rape accusations.

A party spokesperson in the state said a disciplinary panel suspended Mr Sengar last year.

“He has not been sacked yet because the charges haven’t been proven,” the spokesperson added.

Mr Modi, who has repeatedly cited women’s rights as a priority for his government, has been so far silent on the scandal.