Main accused to be charged

A special court in Badaun has accepted almost all key findings of the CBI’s closure report pertaining to two minor cousins who were found hanging from a mango tree in May 2014. The court, however, ordered trial against one of the five accused — Pappu — for alleged outraging of modesty of one of the victims.

Sources said, “In its 25-page order, the court has summoned Pappu Yadav, the main accused in the case who was earlier given a clean chit by the CBI. The court did not accept the clean chit given to Pappu by the CBI, sources said adding that it was the only point on which the court did not agree with the agency’s findings.

“The court has accepted our closure report that the girls were neither raped nor murdered. The court has given clean chit to four accused — as per the findings of the CBI — and taken cognisance against Pappu Yadav under Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 363 (kidnapping), 366 (kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her marriage) of IPC and sections 6 and 7 (sexual assault) of POCSO Act,” sources said.

The CBI in its closure report, submitted on December 11, 2014 in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court here, had said the girls committed suicide and were neither raped nor murdered. The agency said the girls took the extreme step as they were ashamed that the relationship of the elder sister with Pappu Yadav had been exposed, as it gave a clean chit to all the accused. The incident had come to light on May 28, 2014 when the bodies of the two cousins were found hanging from a tree in the village in Badaun, sparking a nationwide outrage.

The CBI in its report said there was no forensic or circumstantial evidence suggesting rape and murder as alleged in the FIR registered by the Uttar Pradesh police after the bodies of the two girls were found hanging from the tree. The CBI had closed the investigation with dropping of charges against five accused — Pappu, Awadhesh and Urvesh Yadav (brothers) and constables Chhatrapal Yadav and Sarvesh Yadav — named as prime accused by the state police for the alleged rape and murder of the girls.