Banda rape victim to oppose ex-MLA bail

The Banda rape victim has said that she will move court against the bail granted to former BSP MLA Purshottam Naresh Dwiwedi by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court two days ago.

The former MLA who has been convicted in the rape case and has been awarded a ten year sentence, was granted bail on health grounds since he suffers from a kidney ailment. The court however asked him to deposit '5 lakh in the trial court as compensation to the survivor.

“The release of the accused will pose a threat to my life because he keeps sending threats to me even from inside the jail. I was unwell after the incident but this man sent me to jail and the court did not show any compassion to me,” she told reporters.

Purshottam Naresh Dwiwedi, it may be recalled, was arrested in January, 2011 on charges of raping and illegally detaining the victim who worked as a domestic help in his house.

The victim was framed on charges of theft and sent to jail but the local media reported the case after which the then chief minister Mayawati ordered a CB-CID inquiry and Mr Dwiwedi was arrested.

The Allahabad high court took suo motu cognisance of media reports and ordered that the girl be released from jail. In September 2011, on the orders of the Supreme Court, the case was taken over by the CBI.

After, conviction, Dwiwedi appealed against the judgement which is still pending in the high court. Later, he applied for bail. The victim has been provided a security cover and an arms licence after she claimed a threat to her life.

She is now planning to contest the 2017 assembly elections.

“I want to get power so that I can help other girls who are in distress,” she recently said.