AYODHYA: Authorities riding bulldozers in UP’s Faizabad demolished Saturday a bakery owned by Samajwadi Party functionary and

rape accused

Moeed Khan in Bhadarsa, 21 km southwest of

Ayodhya

. According to ADM Anirudh Singh, the bakery was built illegally by encroaching upon a public pond.
The action followed a complaint from the family of an underage girl of SC Nishad community that she was repeatedly raped by Moeed and his employee Raju since mid-May, making her pregnant.

Police have registered a case under the Pocso Act and both suspects have been arrested.
Ayodhya SSP Raj Karan Nayyar said the girl’s father died two years ago, leaving her mother, sisters, and herself to do menial labour to get by. According to the complaint, Raju informed her in May that Moeed wanted to see her after work. When she arrived, Moeed allegedly raped her and recorded the crime with Raju’s help. “Over the next two-and-a-half months, Khan continued to assault her, using the video to threaten her. The crime was discovered when the minor became pregnant,” Nayyar said.
The survivor, who is 10-week pregnant, is to undergo an abortion with consent of her parents and experts. DNA from the fetus will be compared with that of the accused.

On Friday, the family met UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who promised stern action against the accused. Yogi accused SP of shielding a rape accused, citing Moeed’s pictures with Faizabad’s Lok Sabha MP Awadhesh Prasad.
Prasad demanded a DNA test to nail the culprit. While SP chief Akhilesh reiterated the demand for a DNA test, BSP’s Mayawati questioned the motive. “How many DNA tests were done in cases when SP was in office?” she asked.