Lucknow:
A month after a girl was raped, the man accused of raping her, BSP MLA Purushottam Naresh Dwivedi was finally arrested today.
The arrest comes a day after the UP government gave the go ahead for his arrest but what's shocking is that the girl who was raped is still in Jail after being falsely implicated for theft.
"I am confident that as soon as you will step out of this press conference, the MLA will be arrested, said Cabinet Secretary, Shashank Shekhar Singh.
This promised arrest took longer than expected.
After much embarrassment, 24 hours after the Mayawati government issued orders, the BSP MLA Purushottam Naresh Dwivedi was finally arrested in Banda, for the rape of a minor girl.
Mayawati cleared his arrest after a crime branch CID preliminary report concluded that the MLA had raped a 17-year-old-girl, left under his care by her father.
But what's shocking is that the victim, who was arrested for a petty theft remains in and now there is mounting pressure on Mayawati to set her free.
"Why is the minor girl still behind bars, this is an outrageous mockery of the judicial process, this is outrageous and unacceptable," said Brinda Karat, Politburo member, CPI(M).
"This man Dwivedi has a strong record of criminality behind him, yet he is one of the leaders and then he commits this crime and even to date Naseemuddin Siddiqui and others who are ministers from the district, have not given a single statement against him," said Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Chief, UPCC.
The authorities claim, what stands in the way of the girl's release is her age. whether she is a minor or an adult will determine the court that can set her free and now with the MLA's arrest all eyes will be on the UP government to expedite this process.