BAREILLY: It has startled local cops beyond belief – while investigating the murder of a 23-year-old BEd woman student , whose body was found stuffed in a bag near Bada Bypass on November 10, police stumbled on the criminal antecedents of the murderer’s father, a ‘revenge’ rapist.

The BEd student, Priyanshi Gangwar, had a married lover, Imran. On interrogation, Imran confessed that he was fed up with her constant pestering. She wanted him to leave his wife and two kids and marry her. He had murdered her to end the constant nagging.

Policemen were shocked to discover that Imran was the son of Bundan Khan, who, having lost a students’ union election at Bareilly College in 1980, had set about raping the women students who voted against him. He had raped six women within the college premises. In all, 22 cases of rape had been registered against him.

College elections in the 1980s were held without ballots and students voted by raising their hands to support contestants. It was clear, then, who had voted for Bundan Khan and who against. As Khan set about raping those who had refrained from voting for him, terror spread in the city. Nobel laureate for Peace Mother Teresa, who happened to visit Bareilly in 1980, appealed for calm in the wake of the crimes.

Police stumbled on the criminal history of Imran’s father while conducting a routine verification process.

B K Yadav, who was also at the college as a student in the 1980s, said, “Students only raised their hands before teachers in those days to indicate who they supported during the elections. That made the girls vulnerable, and the man, keen on revenge, took to raping the women who did not vote for him.”

Yadav remembers that as news of the rapes spread, the whole region was in shock. The crime made headlines across the world.

Circle Officer, Kotwali, Asit Srivastava told TOI, “Bundan Khan was a hardcore criminal, with a string of cases including rape and murder against him in different police stations. His history sheet was maintained until 1996 at Baradari police station. We are still gathering the full details of his notoriety.”

In 1996, as Bundan Khan came out of jail on bail, he was shot dead.

Ashok Singh, a classmate of Khan at Bareilly College, did not want to recall those crimes: “It is not right to dwell on the past of a person who is dead,” he said.

Talking to TOI, DIG RKS Rathor of Bareilly Range said, “We have sought remand of the accused Imran. We hope to gather details not just of the murder of the student, but also of the man’s father’s misdeeds.”

