Ayodhya authorities demolished a bakery owned by ‘Samajwadi Party leader’ Moid Khan on Saturday — days after he was arrested for gang-raping a minor. Officials said that the building had been built illegally over a pond. The development also came mere hours after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met with the family of the victim and assured strict action.
“The bakery of Moid Khan has been demolished. The bakery had one big room and one small room. It was illegally built over a pond, and has been demolished,” Ayodhya District Magistrate Chandra Vijay Singh told PTI.
Visuals shared online showed local authorities leading the demolition activities on Friday afternoon. The police also kept a watch using drones as the bakery owned by Moid Khan was brought down by bulldozers.
“Moid Khan is from the Samajwadi Party and a member of the Ayodhya MP's team. He has been found involved in a case of rape of a 12-year-old. The Samajwadi Party has not taken action against him. I am not able to understand what all this is. He is hanging out with the SP MP of Ayodhya (Awadhesh Prasad),” Adityanath told the state Assembly on Thursday.
Media reports indicate that the 12-year-old was gang-raped by three men — including the SP-affiliated Moid Khan. Police sources told PTI that the bakery owner and his employee Raju Khan had raped the girl two months ago and recorded the act. The incident came to light when a recent medical examination revealed that the victim was pregnant.
The police arrested the duo from the Purakalandar area of UP on July 30 in connection with the case.
Meanwhile the Samajwadi Party has distanced itself from Khan and urged the BJP to avoid politics over the matter. Faizabad MP Awadhesh Prasad insisted that the SP stood ‘completely with the vicitm’ and called for action to be taken ‘with full force’ against the guilty party.
“I humbly request such people that this is not a moment for politics...Innocents should not be framed and DNA test should be conducted. She (victim) should be helped financially as well. I have never allowed anyone to come near me who has even the slightest connection with the crime. I have never taken any kind of help from them. As far as the photo (with the accused) is concerned. Lakhs of people click pictures with us, take selfies…BJP should not do this kind of politics,” he added.
(With inputs from agencies)
