Maharajganj district president of the Bharatiya Janata Party's minority cell Masoom Raza Rahi, against whom a rape and murder case was recently filed, has been expelled from the party for six years.
Rahi has been absconding since September 7. A case was lodged on September 5 against him for allegedly raping a 17-year-old Dalit girl and killing her father.
"Masoom Raza Rahi has been expelled from the party for six years and his primary membership has also been terminated on the instructions of the state and regional leadership," BJP's district unit convenor Sanjay Pandey said.
The action has been taken as a case was registered against Rahi, the district president of Bharatiya Janata Party Minority Morcha, in Maharajganj Kotwali under various sections including rape, murder 'because of which the image of the party has been tarnished', Pandey said.
In her complaint to the police, the girl had alleged that the BJP leader raped her on August 28 and when her father protested the accused thrashed him, leaving him severely injured. The father of the girl subsequently died during treatment.
The complainant said that after her mother's death, she lived in Rahi's house as a tenant along with her father, three sisters and a younger brother.
Based on her complaint, a first information report FIR under sections 376 (rape), 302 (murder), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code as well as under the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was registered against the BJP leader.
On Sunday, five policemen, including a sub-inspector, were suspended and 14 others were shunted out on charges of negligence and mishandling the rape and murder case.
The accused was detained following the FIR but was allowed to go after the victim retracted the rape allegations in her statements before a magistrate on September 6.
Rahi has been absconding since September 7 even though the case against him, which also includes a murder charge, is still under investigation, the police had said.
