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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has expelled two members of the party’s IT cell in Varanasi, after they were arrested for allegedly being the perpetrators of the November 2 gangrape of a
20-year-old BTech student of the Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) Varanasi (IIT-BHU) on campus. Three people were arrested late Saturday, December 30, and were
identified as the alleged accused. BJP’s action came hours after the Opposition alleged that the accused were linked to the ruling party. Lanka Station House Officer Shivakant Mishra
identified the arrested trio as Kunal Pandey of Sunderpur's Brij Enclave Colony; Anand, a.k.a Abhishek Chauhan, of Jivadhipur Bajardiha; and Saksham Patel of Bajardiha. Kashi Deputy
Commissioner of Police (DCP) RS Gautam said the three accused men have confessed to the crime, including disrobing and filming the survivor at gunpoint, and could be charged under the
National Security Act and the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act. BJP’s Varanasi district chief Hansraj Vishwakarma did not reveal their designation and
role in the party. Speaking about the party’s decision, Vishwakarma said, “Definitely their (accused) names have appeared in the police probe, so they have been expelled from the party after
an investigation.” He then clarified and added that further action would be taken as per the directions of the party leadership. Hours after the arrest of the accused, social media was
flooded with screenshots of Kunal and Saksham's Facebook pages, mentioning the positions they hold in BJP's IT cell. BJP’s Kashi media in-charge Navratan Rathi said Kunal was the
convenor of the cell's city unit while Saksham was its co-convenor. DCP Gautam said the motorbike and mobile phone used in the crime, besides other electronic evidence, had been seized.
The arrested trio’s criminal history, if any, is being checked.