Meerut/Lucknow: A non-bailable warrant has been issued against a local BJP leader in a case of sexual abuse of a 17-year-old girl in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, police said on Saturday.
According to the police, the teenaged girl, working in the office of advocate Ramesh Chand Gupta, has alleged that she was sexually abused by Gupta, his relative and BJP metropolitan unit general secretary Arvind Gupta Marwari, and Uttar Pradesh Consumer Cooperative Union Sanjeev Goyal Sikka.
Advocate Gupta was arrested on June 21 in the case.
A special court under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act issued the non-bailable warrant (NBW) against BJP leader Arvind Gupta Marwari, Daurala police station SHO Sanjay Sharma said.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav targeted the BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh over the issuance of NBW against the party leader.
"The news coming from Meerut is enough for the BJP government to hang its head in shame. In a case of sexual abuse of a minor girl, BJP's Meerut city unit general secretary Arvind Gupta Marwari has been made an accused," Mr Yadav said, according to a statement issued by the opposition party.
Giving details of the case, the police said a video surfaced purportedly showing advocate Gupta abusing a girl.
After the video surfaced, the 17-year-old girl went missing under suspicious circumstances and a missing person case was lodged by her brother on May 27.
She was recovered safely on June 15.
When she was presented before a court on June 16, she levelled charges of sexual abuse against advocate Gupta, the BJP leader and Sikka, police said.
Subsequently, the advocate and the BJP leader were charged for rape.
Though the advocate was arrested, the BJP leader is on the run.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rohit Singh Sajwan said that after the issuance of NBW, all possible places are being raided for Arvind Gupta Marwari's arrest.
He will be arrested soon and produced before the court, the SSP said.
On the allegation against the Uttar Pradesh Consumer Cooperative Union chief, the SSP said he was accused of molestation and the matter is being investigated.
BJP Metropolitan president Mukesh Singhal said they have sought approval from the state leadership for action against Arvind Gupta Marwari.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)