A woman from Ghazipur was allegedly raped by MP from the Bahujan Samaj Party in 2019, wherein the accused had been arrested in 2019 and has been placed in judicial custody for the last two years. In March 2021, the woman appealed to the Supreme Court of India to have her trial transferred from the Allahabad High Court to the Supreme Court since she feared that the continuance of the trial posed a threat to her life. In August 2021, the Varanasi court issued a non-bailable warrant against the woman on grounds of forgery for allegedly falsifying her age in the alleged rape case, wherein the complaint to the court was made by the brother of the accused. On August 16, 2021, the victim and her friend went live on Facebook from outside the Supreme Court of India’s premises, wherein they claimed that S.S.P. Amit Pathak, C.O. Amresh Singh, Inspector Sanjay Rai (including his son Vivek Rai) and former I. G. Amitabh Thakur were involved in a conspiracy to help the accused while allegedly plotting against her. After the Facebook video, the duo set themselves on fire, wherein the victim suffered 85% burns while the male friend suffered 65% burns. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) said that the police officers on scene rushed to wrap the duo in blankets, wherein they were promptly rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital for further treatment.
The police registered a criminal case under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (attempt to commit suicide) against the duo, wherein the narrative with the police officers was that the male friend convinced the victim to commit suicide; however, the male friend succumbed to his injuries on August 21 while the victim breathed her last on August 24. The dead of the victim prompted the Varanasi Cantt. S.H.O. Rakesh Singh and Investigation Officer Girija Shankar to suspend any inquiry into the forgery case against the victim.
An immediate inquiry was called into the matter by the Government of Uttar Pradesh, wherein the MP from the Bahujan Samaj Party, Ghosi, Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Atul Rai and former I.P.S. Officer Amitabh Thakur were found prima facie guilty for abetting the suicide of the victim, wherein an FIR was registered against them under Section 167 (Public Servant Framing Incorrect Documentation with Intent to Cause Injury), Section 195A (Threatening Any Person to give False Evidence), Section 218 (Public Servant Framing Incorrect Record or Writing with Intent to Save Person from Punishment or Property from Forfeiture), Section 504 (Intentional Insult with Intent to Provoke Breach of the Peace), Section 506 (Criminal Intimidation causing either death or grievous hurt) and Section 120B (Punishment of Criminal Conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. On August 27, 2021, the Lucknow Police arrested Amitabh Thakur for the aforementioned charges, wherein he is being placed in judicial custody till September, 2021.
