Azam Khan has `lost his mind`: Bulandshahr victims' family

Ghaziabad/Lucknow, Aug 2 (ANI): Deeply hurt and enraged with Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan's irresponsible statement on the Bulandshahr gang-rape, the victims' family members on Tuesday said the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister has lost his senses. "I want to blame the people of Uttar Pradesh for electing a person like Azam Khan. He has gone crazy. He has lost his senses," one of the family members told ANI. "How can there be a conspiracy in such a case? Will the victim make a false story and demean herself?" he asked. Meanwhile, the husband of the woman, who was gang-raped along with her 14-year-old daughter, condemned Khan's statement, saying he should have restrained himself. "Azam Khan has made a wrong statement. He should have restrained from that," he told ANI in Ghaziabad. In what may come as an embarrassment for the Samajwadi Party Government, Khan earlier hinted at a political conspiracy behind the gang-rape of the mother-daughter duo in Bulandshahr. Khan said that a desperate opposition could stoop to any level to defame and disgrace the government since the state elections are approaching. However, the Samajwadi Party leader defended his remarks. "I never said there is a conspiracy by the opposition. I said that as the elections are near, we all should find from where these protests and incidents are coming from. I never said that this was a conspiracy by the opposition," Khan told ANI in Lucknow. "If we were not sensitive about them then how such a quick response would have been made. It is because of their pain that we are saying that accused should be arrested as soon as possible and a proper investigation should be done to find out the truth. This case requires strict action," he added. A fast track court in Bulandshahr yesterday sent the three accused arrested in connection with the case to 14-day judicial custody. "Raisuddin, Savesh and Jawar Singh have been sent to 14-day judicial custody. The Sections that have been imposed are 385, 397, 376 D, 342 of the Indian Penal Code and four POCSO rules," Additional District Government Council Navneet Sharma told ANI. The incident took place earlier on Friday night when a 35-year-old woman and her daughter were allegedly gang-raped by a group of robbers in Bulandshahr district. The victims were on their way from Noida to Shahjahanpur with the other family members when their vehicle was stopped near a cycle repairing shop in Dostpur village on NH-9, which connects Noida and Bulandshahr. (ANI)