Expelled BJP Kuldeep Singh Sengar (File photo)

NEW DELHI: Expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and six others, including two UP policemen, were convicted on Wednesday of “culpable homicide not amounting to murder” in the death of the Unnao rape survivor’s father.

According to special judge Dharmesh Sharma, the accused demonstrated their “political and muscle power” to criminally intimidate the deceased and his family and deter them from pursuing the sexual assault case against Sengar. While framing charges in August last year, the court had viewed the death as “part of a larger conspiracy to deter, silence and prevent the father from pursuing the complaint” regarding the rape of his daughter in 2017. The court will hear arguments on the quantum of punishment on March 12.

Besides Sengar, the court convicted then Makhi police station in-charge Ashok Singh Bhadauria, sub-inspector K P Singh, and Vineet Mishra , Birendra Singh , Shashi Pratap Singh and Atul Singh , Sengar’s brother. It came on record that the man was brutally assaulted but charges of assault, criminal intimidation and possession of firearms were made against him.

