TRS leader accused of rape by 15-yr-old girl on the run; party expels him
Telangana’s ruling TRS threw out party leader Sheikh Sajid Khan from the party after the police registered a case of rape against the vice chairman of Nirmal municipality
HYDERABAD: Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader Sheikh Sajid Khan, who is on the run after being accused of rape by a 15-year-old girl, has been expelled from the party, Telangana’s TRS announced on Monday. The announcement a day after the police registered a sexual assault case against Khan, who is vice-chairman of Nirmal municipality.
“We have registered a case under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on Sunday. The accused has been missing since then. We have formed four special teams to search for him and we shall arrest him at the earliest,” Nirmal deputy superintendent of police D Upender Reddy said.
The TRS responded on Monday to the grave charges against the party leader, announcing on Monday that Khan has been expelled from the primary membership of the party over the alleged sexual assault.
The incident came to light when the parents of the girl, a Class 8 student, lodged a complaint with the “Childline,” an NGO working against child trafficking and child abuse, which tipped off the police on Saturday.
According to the police, Khan spotted the girl at a function in Nirmal town a few days ago. He contacted a woman who rented out the accommodation where the girl’s family lived. The woman took the girl with her to Hyderabad over 200km in a car on the pretext of taking her along to attend a family function.
“Instead of taking her to the function, the woman took the girl to a hotel in the old city, where Khan raped her. Later, the girl was taken to different places in the city, where she was repeatedly assaulted sexually,” Reddy said, quoting the girl.
The woman brought the girl back home and sent her home after threatening her against complaining about the assault.
On Saturday, the girl eventually told her parents about the assault who approached the NGO and later, the police. “We have also booked a case against the house owner and car driver, who assisted Khan in the offence. They were taken into custody on Sunday for questioning,” the DSP said, adding that the girl was sent to Nirmal government hospital for medical examination.
The incident provoked sharp protests from women groups and opposition parties in Nirmal town. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers staged a demonstration in front of the Nirmal municipality and demanded that Khan be sacked.
Telangana endowments minister A Indrakaran Reddy, who represents Nirmal assembly constituency in the assembly, said Khan has been expelled from the party and his primary membership had been terminated, following the incident.
“Nobody will be spared if he is involved in such offences that will bring disrepute to the party. The government will take all steps to ensure justice to the victim,” the minister said.
