4 minutes agoAuthor: Rajesh Sahu
Mukesh Gautam, who lives in Kanshiram Colony of Unnao Sadar, leaves home every morning to get justice for his dead daughter Pooja. Go to the authorities. Goes to the lawyer. Go to the leaders. But they neither got justice nor help. Got only consolation. Mukesh says, “Four days ago, when I sought help from MP Sakshi Maharaj, I got the answer, we had not made any promise, if you want to die, go and die at the DM’s place, not at our place.”
Dainik Bhaskar’s team reached Unnao at the house of the victim’s family in connection with this high-profile case. Talked to the mother whose daughter went missing for 63 days and then her body was found behind the ashram of former SP minister Fateh Bahadur Singh. When the dead body was found, the arrests started. Help was assured. Now getting threats.
- Let us know this case in a sequential manner. First of all see this graphic related to the case.
When the girl disappeared, the police said – she has run away, will come
Pooja, working in Lucknow, came to her home on 7 December 2021. On the morning of December 8, she left for her friend Chandni’s house to return the borrowed money. Kidnapped from there. On December 9, Pooja’s mother Rita Gautam reached Sadar Kotwali. Rajol Singh, son of former SP minister of state Fateh Bahadur Singh, was accused of kidnapping his daughter. The police heard the complaint. But, the case was not registered. Rita says, “At that time the police said that your daughter is an adult, she must have gone with someone, she will come and give a statement that I will stay with the same boy.”
Police called the son of former minister of state
Rita said, “We got worried while searching for the daughter. Reached Kotwali again. When I requested Inspector Akhilesh Chandra Pandey, he called Rajol Singh to the police station. Told him to give Pooja to the family. Rajol said, ‘I will give it after a week.’ He did this twice. Inspector doesn’t say anything to him. There was no hope of justice in Kotwali. CO and SSP reached office. The registers kept there were filled with my name. But no one would listen to us.
A month has passed since Pooja’s kidnapping. On January 11, 2022, SP Dinesh Tripathi ordered to register the case. Kotwali Inspector Akhilesh Chandra Pandey was suspended. However, Rajol Singh was still not made an accused.
The photo on the left side is of Rajol and the photo on the right side is of Inspector Akhilesh Pandey.
The matter came to light when Akhilesh jumped in front of the car.
Rajol Singh was not arrested even after the case was registered. Sometimes the victim’s family would meet any leader and sometimes they would get a complaint registered on the public hearing portal. But the action did not happen. Rita and Mukesh reached Lucknow and attempted self-immolation in front of the Chief Minister’s residence. Police stopped. After this, Rita reached the residence of former CM Akhilesh Yadav on January 24 and jumped in front of his car. From here the whole matter came into limelight.
The order was sent from Lucknow and the Unnao police added Rajol Singh’s name to the case for the first time the same night. He was arrested and sent to jail.
The talk of 39 seconds from the new number made Rajol an accused.
After the arrest of Rajol, the investigation of the case was handed over to the SOG team of Unnao Police. SIT was formed on 28 January. Initially the police did not investigate. Hence SIT did not have any evidence beforehand. When the call details were found out, it was found that Rajol’s phone was at his house the whole day on 8th December. But the SIT got a call recording of 39 seconds from a new number. It belonged to Rajol.
When the police failed to get Rajol to reveal the truth, they cracked down on his friend Suraj Singh. He breaks down and confesses to the murder along with Rajol.
Pooja’s dead body found behind Divyanand Ashram
After Suraj’s confession, the police reached Divyanand Ashram in Kabba Kheda village. The plot behind the ashram was excavated at the behest of the accused. Pooja’s nearly decomposed body was found after digging 5 feet. Police took the dead body into custody and sent it for postmortem. The postmortem report shows the gruesomeness of the incident.
This is the footage of the time when Pooja’s body was found in a pit made for a septic tank.
Dr. Ajit Singh, Sanjeev Kumar and Nidhi Dubey, who performed the postmortem, said, “Pooja’s throat was strangled so hard that the bone itself broke. She was hit on the head with a rod. The dead body is about 45 days old. ” At the same time, the accused told during interrogation that Pooja was killed on December 8 itself. In such a situation, the dead body had become 63 days old.
District administration promised 25 lakh more jobs
When the dead body was found, there was an uproar. Leaders from local to national level made it an issue. The family demanded Rs 25 lakh, a government job for the brother of the deceased, a pucca house and security. It was only after this that the last rites were talked about. The district administration agreed to all the demands. Security was provided immediately but even after 1 year, neither the family got financial help nor the brother got a job.
This is a letter of demand by the victim’s family on which the district administration had agreed.
DM reported that the victim already has a government house. On January 3, 2023, Mukesh gets a call from the Chief Minister’s helpline 1076. It was told in it that out of 25 lakhs which were to be given to the victim’s family, 8 lakh 25 thousand have been given. The aggrieved families already live in government accommodation in Kanshi Ram Colony. Son’s job will be considered.
Regarding this phone call, Mukesh says, “The 8 lakh rupees we got were from the SC-ST Act. Not met with the promise of Rs 25 lakh. Son is B.Com pass but till now not called anywhere. Regarding the pucca house, he says, “Cancel our house in Kanshi Ram Colony and give us another house.”
When asked for help from MP, got the answer – die at DM’s place
On receiving a call from 1076, Mukesh called Unnao MP Sakshi Maharaj. Narrating his problem, Mukesh said, “Now we will come to your house and die there.” Sakshi Maharaj said, “Why will you die at our place, don’t you die at DM’s house, we had assured that the DM had said?” Mukesh says, “DM sir is not doing any hearing.” The MP replied – “Die at DM’s place.” However, it was Mukesh who told that later the MP said that he had not said so.
Now there is a threat that even the dead body of the second daughter will not be found.
Pooja’s mother Rita starts crying thinking of her second daughter. She says, “Now there are threats to withdraw the case, otherwise the body of the elder daughter was found but the body of the younger daughter will not be found. Tell me, where should we take our 12-year-old daughter? Not only us but our lawyer Saroj Bharti also receives threats. That’s why I want that she should also be given security.”
We spoke to advocate Saroj Bharti regarding security. He told that I am also the lawyer of the aggrieved party in the case of Kuldeep Singh Sengar. Recently, an attempt was made to kill me with a truck. Wrote letter to SP several times but till now did not get security.
DM said, we were not in Unnao at that time
Regarding this matter, DM Apoorva said, at the time when the incident took place, my posting was not here. Now that the matter is in the knowledge, efforts will be made to fulfill the demands accepted by the district administration.
At present, along with the main accused Rajol Singh, 6 more people are in jail in this case. It also includes Rajol’s brother Ashok Singh, Mahant of the ashram. The next date of the matter is February 20. Mukesh wants the case to be heard in the fast track court, but no consideration has been given so far.