Unnao rape: Adityanath demands 1st SIT report by Wednesday evening; updates

A girl's accusation that she was gang-raped by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator has triggered a political storm in Yogi Adityanath-governed Uttar Pradesh, even as police on Tuesday arrested Atul Singh, the brother of main accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, in connection with the Unnao rape case and the custodial death of the victim's father. Adityanath has directed the UP Home Department to ensure that the special investigation team (SIT), which has been formed to probe all allegations in the rape case, visits Unnao on Wednesday and submits its first report by the evening.

The arrests, however, have not appeased the state's political opposition as Samajwadi Party workers in Gorakhpur protested against the alleged rape, demanding that the BJP legislator be arrested at the earliest. Further, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government over the death of the victim's father in judicial custody in Unnao and the related allegations. Meanwhile, Adityanath termed the incident unfortunate and announced that a top-ranking police official will probe the matter. Amid allegations of inaction by his state's police in the rape case and facing the shocking custodial death of the victim's father, Adityanath said that those behind the incident will not be spared at any cost.

Gorakhpur tragedy: 30 children die in medical college, Yogi govt says 7

At least 30 children died in the state-run Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur, the parliamentary constituency of Uttar Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in the last two days, an official said Friday. The government however said that only seven had died.

Gorakhpur DM Rajeev Rautela told local TV channels confirming the "death of 30 kids in the last two days" and seven deaths in the last 24 hours.

He said that 17 children had died in the neo-natal ward, five in the ward meant of patients suffering from acute encephalitis syndrome and eight in the general ward.

Denying that the children had died due to lack of oxygen, he confirmed that there was shortage of liquid oxygen at the medical college and that due to non-payment of Rs 70 lakhs, the vendor supplying oxygen has stopped supply. However, he said the principal had told him that for emergency use, alternative arrangements have been made.

He further said that part payment of Rs 35 lakh has been made to the vendor and that he had been requested not to disrupt the oxygen supply.
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