Banda rape case: Supreme Court to hear plea for judicial probe on Friday

New Delhi, Jan 17 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider a plea for a judicial probe into the alleged rape of a dalit girl by Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Purushottam Naresh Dwivedi in Uttar Pradesh's Banda District.

According to reports, the apex court is likely to take up the case for hearing on Friday.

An apex court bench of Chief Justice S H Kapadia decided to consider the desirability of a judicial investigation into the incident, as senior counsel Harish Salve, during the hearing of another plea linked to the issue of police reform, mentioned the incident, seeking an independent probe into it.

Harish Salve has been asked by the court to file a formal application before Friday when it would examine it.

During the hearing of a plea for expeditious implementation of September 2006 directions of the apex court on police reform, Salve mentioned the incident involving the BSP MLA and sought an inquiry by the Allahabad District Judge or by someone from 'outside the area'.

Earlier on Friday, the 17-year-old girl stood by her allegations and claimed that Dwivedi raped her at his residence, along with three of his supporters.

She had also given a similar statement to a three-member team of National Commission of Women (NCW).

The girl was allegedly raped on December 10-11 at Dwivedi's residence. She escaped from the MLA's house on December 12, when he allegedly attempted to rape her for the third time and charged her with theft.

The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Banda has sent Dwivedi to 14 days of judicial custody.

The MLA, who was on the run after orders for his arrest were issued, was taken into custody on Thursday. he investigating officials, who conducted the preliminary inquiry, have found that Dwivedi had raped the teenager and framed her in a false theft case. (ANI)