Lucknow: Kunal Pandey, Saksham Patel and Anand alias Abhishek Chauhan — the three BJP IT cell members arrested in connection with the alleged gang-rape inside the IIT-BHU campus — have social media profiles littered with pictures of them with PM Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi and BJP national president J.P. Nadda among others.

Pandey, according to the pictures uploaded on 25 June on his Facebook profile, is seen with other leaders of BJP’s Varanasi unit outside a train to Bhopal where he had travelled as part of the Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot campaign ahead of the Madhya Pradesh election.

The 2 November alleged gang-rape had led to protests at the IIT-BHU director’s office. While an initial FIR was lodged under sections 354-b (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC and charges under the IT Act, the sections pertaining to gangrape (IPC 376-d) and insult to the modesty of women (509) were added later.

It has come to fore that the victim had identified the accused from a CCTV footage on November 5.
An official source in the IIT-BHU confirmed to ThePrint that the survivor had in fact identified the trio from a footage of a CCTV camera installed at the Singh Dwaar of the main BHU campus on the intervening night of 1-2 November on 5 November.
The camera had captured them entering the main BHU campus seated on a Bullet bike from the Singh Dwaar.
“The identification was done on 5 November but the police had later said that all information will be provided only to the victim and her family members,” the source said.

Moreover, the police had got the girl’s medical examination done only after she recorded her statement before the magistrate.

The three were arrested early Sunday morning following which Leader of Opposition in UP assembly Akhilesh Yadav and UP Congress chief Ajay Rai claimed the accused had strong links with the BJP.

While Pandey identifies himself as having served as the BJP IT cell convenor on his Facebook page, Patel claims to be the IT cell co-convenor of the BJP Varanasi city unit while Anand Chauhan was part of the working committee of the same.

This story was originally published in theprint.com. Read the full story here .