The Uttar Pradesh Police have registered a case against a Bharatiya Janata Party minorities unit leader for allegedly raping a 17-year-old Dalit girl and killing her father in Maharajganj district, reported PTI.

The case has been filed on a complaint by the minor girl who accused Masoom Raza Rahi, the district chief of the ruling BJP’s Minority Morcha, of raping her on August 28. When her father attempted to intervene, Rahi beat him, leading to grievous injuries that resulted in his death, the girl alleged.

The complainant used to stay as a tenant in Rahi’s property along with her father, three sisters and a younger brother.

Circle officer of Sadar Kotwali police station Ajay Singh Chauhan said that besides rape charges, Rahi has also been booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 302 (murder), 354 (assault to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 452 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

Charges under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act have also been invoked, the police said.

District convenor of the BJP Sanjay Pandey said the senior leadership of the party has been apprised of the incident and action will be taken accordingly.