A woman in Shahjahanpur district Monday threatened to immolate herself if BJP’s Tilhar MLA Roshan Lal Verma and his son, Manoj, whom she had accused of raping her in 2012, were not arrested. Verma has denied the allegations.

The Crime Branch-CID had filed a closure report in the case citing lack of evidence after the police had earlier charged the two with rape and abduction without arresting them.

Officials pacified the woman and her father by taking their memorandum and assuring action after they threatened immolation. “Officials have promised to take appropriate action against the MLA and Manoj by May 21. If they failed to keep the promise, I would immolate myself at the collectorate office,” said the woman, a mother of a five-year-old daughter.

CB-CID investigating officer Shiv Raj Singh said the woman had leveled the rape and abduction charges after eloping with the MLA’s younger son, Vinod, in 2012. “…she alleged she was kidnapped by Vinod’s father… and his brother, Manoj…’’ He said the woman claimed to have managed to escape from the MLA’s house with Vinod’s help.

The woman told The Indian Express she was confined for nine days and raped. She added she later stayed with Vinod.

The MLA and Manoj were charged in October 2013 but the police did not arrest them citing “law and order” issues. The government later ordered the CB-CID probe. “The CB-CID again recorded the victim’s statement before a magistrate, where she withdrew the rape and kidnapping allegation. Since there was no evidence, we did not take any action… The agency filed the closure report in the case in November 2016.”

The woman challenged the closure in March 2017 and sought further investigation. “The victim and her family are not cooperating in the investigation. They refused to give any statement to the agency. Now, Vinod and 13 neighbours of the victim have given affidavit to the CB-CID stating that no such incident of rape and kidnapping took place,” Singh said.

The woman alleged she had backtracked because of the MLA’s threats. Verma blamed his political opponents for framing him in the false case. “I am ready to go to jail if police find any evidence against me. The allegations of threats to the woman or pressure are false.” He said Vinod was already married and had two children.

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