No SP neta helped us: Son of ex-party man acquitted in rape case

Ayodhya: Zaeer Khan, son of former Samajwadi Party functionary Moeed Khan who was recently acquitted by a court in a rape case, has said that no party leader, including local MP Awadhesh Prasad and party chief Akhilesh Yadav, tried to help them out in the time of crisis. "Some local BJP leaders gave wrong feedback to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, as my father's name was not in the first FIR. But due to local political rivalry, my father's name was included. It was also claimed that a video was made during the incident, but no video was presented as evidence in court," he said.
A special court under Pocso Act in Ayodhya on Thursday convicted Raju Khan (21) for raping a 14-year-old minor girl and causing her pregnancy, while acquitting co-accused Moeed Ahmad (65), a former SP functionary. However, Moeed will continue to remain in jail as he is named in a Gangsters Act case, and bail is pending in the high court. Moeed and his house help Raju were arrested on July 30, 2024. The survivor was employed as a daily wager at Khan's house when her family lodged an FIR for gang rape against them. The family alleged that she was gang-raped by him and Raju for over two months. Police conducted a probe and then filed a chargesheet under the charges of gang rape, threatening, and the Pocso Act, 2012. On Jan 29, special judge (Pocso Act) Nirupama Vikram sentenced convict Raju Khan to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment but acquitted Moeed of all charges as the prosecution failed to establish his involvement. Speaking to TOI on Sunday, his son said, "We are preparing for strong advocacy in the high court, as the complex with 50 shops that was demolished did not belong to my father Moeed Khan. It belonged to his brother Asgar Ali, who lives in the UK. Therefore, the bulldozer action will be challenged in court"