New Delhi: Expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar has “gone unusually quiet” since he was shifted to Delhi’s Tihar jail this week, ThePrint has learnt.
Sengar, the representative for Unnao in Uttar Pradesh, is accused of raping a minor and also faces murder charges over an alleged attempt on the survivor’s life last month.
He is lodged in a high-security cell at jail number 10 in Tihar, where he was shifted on court orders after the trial was moved to Delhi by the Supreme Court earlier this month.
A source in the jail said Sengar had “initially demanded a newspaper, but never read it”.
“For the past two days, he has been quiet and spends most of his time inside the cell,” the source added. “Though he does not share his cell with any other prisoner, there are around 18,000 prisoners in the said jail.”
The Tihar official said Sengar’s cell was under 24×7 CCTV surveillance, with police personnel also keeping watch round-the-clock.
“He is not coming out in the evenings and mostly keeps to himself. He is eating the regular jail food, which includes dal, rice and roti, just like any other prisoner. He has not made any special demands,” the official added.
“At present, no visitor is allowed to see him,” the official said.
The division of prisoners is done alphabetically at Tihar. Jail No. 10, earlier named ‘Jail Rohini’, houses prisoners whose names start with the alphabet “K”.
“After the news about Sengar being shifted to Tihar reached the prison, inmates of jail number 10 knew they would soon have a new member,” another Tihar official said.
“This jail mainly holds undertrials, who have been lodged here for crimes ranging from theft to murder and even rape,” the official added.
Also read: Kuldeep Sengar ‘prays’ for recovery of Unnao rape survivor, says there’s a conspiracy against him
CBI recreates collision
Sengar’s case came to light last year, after the teenager went public with her allegations. She is now critical, after a car accident on 28 July left her with grievous injuries.
The accident, caused by a speeding truck ramming into the car she was in on the Rae Bareli-Lucknow highway, killed two occupants of the vehicle — the girl’s aunts. The fourth occupant was her lawyer, who is also said to be in a critical condition.
A CBI team is attempting to recreate the accident in Rae Bareli with the help of a truck and a hatchback at the site of the crash to analyse whether it could have been an accident. Forensics experts accompanied the CBI officials at the scene.
The investigative agency Sunday conducted searches on premises owned by Sengar and a few of his associates — identified as Atul Singh, Shailender Singh, Virender Singh and Vineet Mishra — who are also being probed by the CBI in connection with the truck-car collision.
Currently, the CBI is probing five cases relating to Sengar and his aides, including rape, murder and attempt to murder.
Also read: Kuldeep Sengar, the Unnao rape accused even BJP can’t act against