The viral image of the accused and the protests in campus (OpIndia)
The Uttar Pradesh Police apprehended all three suspects involved in the alleged gangrape of a female IIT-BHU student near her hostel in Varanasi. The Crime Branch and Lanka police station conducted the arrests in the Susuwahi area, where the accused are currently undergoing interrogation.
Identified as Kunal Pandey from Brij Enclave Colony Sunderpur, and Anand alias Abhishek Chauhan and Saksham Patel from Jivadhipur Bajardiha, the accused were found in possession of the motorcycle used in the crime.
A senior police officer, speaking to The Indian Express on the morning of December 31, confirmed the arrests, with further details to be released later in the day.
The arrests come two months after the incident, wherein a female student was allegedly disrobed at gunpoint, gang-raped by three unidentified men, and the assault recorded. This event sparked widespread protests on the campus, with thousands of students demonstrating against the sexual assault.
According to the victim’s account in her police complaint, the incident occurred on the night of November 1. Three men forcibly accosted her, kissing her, disrobing her, and recording explicit content. The assailants also assaulted her friend and threatened her with dire consequences if she reported the incident.
The initial FIR, registered under sections 354-B (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the IT Act, was later amended to include charges of gangrape based on the victim’s fresh statement. Additional sections, including 341, 342, 507, and 509 of the IPC, were also added.
Meanwhile, the ABVP unit on the campus has also demanded action against the accused. The national media convener ABVP wrote on social media platform, “Take immediate action by filing chargesheet against the accused arrested in the gangrape case of a student @Uppolice. The people who were giving protection to the accused till now should be identified and action should be taken. The council is protesting demanding action from the beginning in the matter.”
Amidst the developments, allegations surfaced on social media suggesting connections between the arrested individuals and the BJP IT cell. Kunal Pandey is purportedly identified as the metropolitan coordinator in the BJP IT cell in Varanasi, while Saksham Patel is alleged to be the Varanasi metropolitan co-convenor in the IT cell. Screenshots of their Facebook profiles circulating on social media further fuel these claims. The police are yet to comment on these allegations.
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