Unnao Rape and Murder Case: Key Witness Died Due to Illness, Claim Police

In the latest twist in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao rape and murder case, the UP police on Friday landed in controversy after they claimed that the key witness of the murder has died due to illness. The police claim has come without even an autopsy or a postmortem report. 

Mohammed Yunus, the key witness of Unnao rape and murder case died on August 18 under suspicious circumstances, the survivor's uncle has alleged. Yunus was buried without informing the UP Police and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating the case. The survivor's uncle has asked how the police can be assured that the witness has died due to illness when he was not sent for the postmortem. He has alleged foul play in the death of Yunus. He also sought the protection for himself and his family.

 He asked CBI and the police to exhume Yunus's body, and conduct a proper autopsy soon. “They did not do an autopsy or post-mortem. The family did not lodge a complaint, and the police did not investigate the matter despite Yunus being the main witness in the case. It is likely that he was poisoned by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar’s men,” the survivor’s uncle alleged.

According to the police’s probe, Yunus had died of liver disease. The police claimed that he was suffering from liver cirrhosis for the past few years, and had died due to the disease.

The news of Yunus’s death came to light after the survivor's uncle approached Unnao Superintendent of Police (SP) Harish Kumar with a written complaint. He has alleged that Sengar and his men wanted to weaken the case against them by eliminating the key witness. In his complaint, he has urged the authorities to register an FIR, and start legal action against the accused. “I met Unnao SP Harish Kumar, and submitted my application with him. I requested him to exhume the body and get the post-mortem done, since he was the main witness in the assault case, and it is beyond understanding how did he die all of a sudden,” he was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

Speaking with Newsclick, Vivek Ranjan Rai, Circle Officer, Safipur said, "Yunus died due to liver cirrhosis. He was undergoing treatment at his home since 2013, and they have submitted all the prescriptions and other details to the police where it was clearly mentioned that he was hepatitis B positive."

He further added that Yunus's wife came to the police station and alleged that rape survivor's uncle has told her that if she goes for the postmortem, he will give Rs 10-12 lakh. “Further investigation is going on in the matter," said Rai. 

Unnao rape case received national attention after a 17-year-old girl attempted suicide outside the official residence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to demand justice after filing a case against Sengar for allegedly raping her, a day after her 55-year-old father was manhandled and thrashed by the main accused MLA’s brother. The next day, her father succumbed to the injuries and died. This incident led to a widespread uproar in the nation, demanding justice for the minor.