LUCKNOW: After intense media glare and pressure from political circles, the issue of mysterious death of a key CBI witness Yunus in Unnao gang-rape and murder case took a turn on Saturday, when the district administration along with senior police authorities decided to get the body of the deceased witness exhumed for post-mortem examination to ascertain the actual reasons for Yunus Khan's death.
While a huge contingent of police force was deployed in the area under Makhi police station, senior district administrative and police officers also reached the spot to get the body of the deceased witness dug out for post-mortem examination amidst huge protest by his family members. However, the authorities were trying to convince the family for autopsy as their consent for exhuming the body is necessary.
Yunus Khan was the key witness in assault case of rape survivor's father who was thrashed allegedly by BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar's younger brother Atul Singh Sengar and his four aides on April 4, 2018. The father ultimately died in police custody due to internal injuries on April 9, 2018.
Meanwhile, UP DGP OP Singh had written to CBI director informing him about the death of the key witness on Friday. "Since the case is being investigated by the CBI, so I informed its director about all the circumstances related o the death of Yunus Khan the key witness in the case," said the DGP while talking to TNIE. The DGP based his letter on the application of witness's family and his wife submitted to Unnao police chief claiming that Yunus Khan died of liver cirrhosis and lung infection. He also informed the CBI director that rape survivor's uncle had been alleging that Yunus was murdered and he had sought the post mortem of the body of deceased witness.
Sharing the details of the DGP's letter with TNIE, DGP office PRO Gaurav Srivastava said the CBI chief was informed that Yunus Khan's wife had claimed in her application submitted to Unnao SP that rape survivor's uncle was mounting pressure on them to call the death a murder and that he had allegedly offered Rs 8 lakh to the family in lieu of it. Moreover, the Unnao police chief had also moved an application to district administration urging it to issue orders to dig out the body of Yunus for post-mortem examination. Consequently, Unnao DM ordered to exhume the body and the decision was taken to put to rest allegations and counter allegations of foul play behind his death.
Notably, Yunus had died in his house in Maakhi village of Unnao on August 18. His family had buried his body the same day without informing either the CBI which is probing into Unnao gang rape and murder case, or the district police. While the rape survivor's uncle and villagers had suspected foul play and demanded the police administration to exhume his body for autopsy, the family members of the deceased witness and the cops were claiming that he died due to prolonged illness as he had been suffering from liver cirrhosis for quite some time and had undergone treatment at various hospitals in Lucknow, Kanpur and Unnao.