The three men arrested in the Bulandshahr gangrape case were identified by the victims, police said today even as opposition parties accused ruling SP of "protecting" criminals ahead of Assembly polls and a senior minister suggesting that it could be an outcome of a political conspiracy against the UP government.
Director General of UP Police Javeed Ahmed said, "The names of other accused are almost clear and efforts are on to arrest them."
The three men who have been arrested, were identified by the victims, he said, adding that the state police was using all its resources to nab the other accused.
Uttar Pradesh Police had yesterday arrested -- Naresh (25), Bablu (22) and Rais (28) -- and detained a dozen others after launching a massive hunt for the dacoits suspected to be behind the crime.
The DGP, who had visited the spot of crime, said the Special Task Force of UP Police was on the job.
Meanwhile, the family of the 13-year-old girl and her mother, who were gangraped at gunpoint, has threatened to commit suicide if the accused were not punished within three months.
"We were looted, beaten up and we all know what they did to my daughter...I want my wife and daughter to punish them. If they are not punished within three months, then all three of us will commit suicide," said the minor victim's father, a cab driver whose family was attacked by a group of bandits on Friday night.
The dacoits had brutally raped the woman and her daughter at gunpoint after dragging them out of a car in Bulandshahr on NH-91 when they were travelling with their family from Noida to Shahjahanpur.
"There were seven-eight men. They tied our hands and feet and beat us. They kept beating us even when we begged for water or we made any movement," the 39-year-old man said, alleging that they did not get any help on dialing police control room number 100.
Accusing the Samajwadi Party government of "protecting and appeasing" criminals ahead of the Assembly polls scheduled next year, BJP asked Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to seek a CBI probe in the gangrape case if he has any "shame" left.
Meanwhile, senior SP leader and UP minister Azam Khan has kicked up a controversy by suggesting that the Bulandshahr case could be an outcome of a political conspiracy against the ruling party, drawing condemnation from rival parties.
Khan, who was in Rampur yesterday, termed the gangrape of the 13-year-old girl and her mother as an attempt to "malign" the SP government by those who want to "come to power" in poll-bound UP.
BJP alleged that SP first "appeased" Muslims to get votes
and is now looking at criminals through the prism of castes and religions and "appeasing" them.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi, BJP National Secretary Shrikant Sharma hit out at the state government over Khan's comment that the gangrape could be an outcome of political conspiracy against it.
"It shows how low the ruling party in UP can stoop to for votes," he said.
He also reeled out the state's crime figures between March 2012 and March 2016 to claim that criminals are emboldened under the SP rule while people, especially women, live in fear.
UP tops the list in crime against women, he said, adding that 2,920 cases of rape were reported during these four years, besides 12,198 murders and 6,015 robberies.
"Azam Khan has politicised a horrible incident like this. It shows how low this government and its leaders can stoop to get votes. If Akhilesh Yadav has any morality and shame left, then he should seek a CBI probe so that the victims can get justice," he said.
Opposition parties have alleged that 'jungleraaj' prevails in UP.
"The SP government and its head must tell the people if they can return the modesty of women in such a painful and heinous crime," BSP supremo Mayawati said yesterday.
She alleged that there was complete 'jungleraaj' in the state and criminal elements were roaming freely.
National Commission for Scheduled Castes Chairman P L Punia and Union Minister Anupriya Patel of Apna Dal have questioned the actions taken by the state government in the aftermath of the brutal gangrape, and called for administrative steps to prevent such incidents.
"Whatever has happened in Bulandshahr is really shocking and shameful. It is a shame on the society," Punia, a senior Congress leader, has said.
"The state government has taken action and suspended a few policemen. But that is not enough. Some mechanism should have been worked out so that this kind of incident does not happen," he said.
Meanwhile, the Shahjahanpur district administration has extended security to the family members of Bulandshahr victims as demanded by them.
District Magistrate Pushpa Singh, who met the family members of the victims in Kalan area, said directives have been issued to the police to provide security to the family.
"As demanded by the family, they have been assured of arms licence at the earliest," she said.
Besides Lohiya Awas and old-age pension, the grandfather of the victim will also get monetary help through the Rani Laxmibai Samman, Singh said, adding the locality of their native house will also be electrified.
She said all necessary help will be provided to the family by the administration.
