Dehradun, May 9 -- Two people, including a former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kamal Rawat, were arrested in Champawat district on Friday for allegedly conspiring to frame three men, including another district BJP leader, in the gang rape of a minor in the district on May 5. The accused were identified as former BJP leader Kamal Rawat and his associate Arjita Rai, said district superintendent of police, Rekha Yadav. She added that an FIR was also registered against local Congress leader Anand Singh Mahra for his alleged role in the conspiracy. He was booked under charges of criminal conspiracy (section 61 of the BNS). "Kamal Rawat, along with others, hatched a conspiracy to manipulate the minor by promising financial assistance for the treatment of her father, who is suffering from multiple ailments," the SP said. Three men- Vinod Singh Rawat, Naveen Singh Rawat and local BJP leader Puran Singh Rawat- were earlier booked for allegedly abducting and gang raping the girl at Salli village, where she had arrived to attend a wedding on May 5. A 10-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the supervision of the Circle Officer, Champawat, was constituted to investigate the case. However, police on Thursday said that the probe into the case did not suggest the presence of the three accused at the scene of the crime. The medical test also did not show clear signs of gang rape or a physical struggle. They added that statements by certain witnesses were found to be inconsistent with technical and circumstantial evidence. The FIR registered on Friday against Kamal Rawat and Arjita Rai charged them under multiple sections of the BNS, including wrongful confinement (Section 127(2)), criminal intimidation (351(2)) and criminal conspiracy. "The victim had gone to attend her friend's wedding in the Salli village. The original plan was to be executed at Vinod Singh Rawat's house. However, they shifted the plan to another location, an old house near a dairy," said the SP. "Kamal Rawat wanted to take revenge against Puran Singh Rawat, who had pursued a Pocso case registered against him in 2023. He harboured resentment against him. Puran Singh Rawat had supported Kamal Rawat's rival candidate, who won in the recent local body elections," she said. Meanwhile, the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit on Friday said that the party would pursue legal action against an alleged conspiracy to malign their image.State BJP general secretary Deepti Rawat Bhardwaj said the safety of women and girls remained among the state government's top priorities. "The police investigation found no evidence supporting the gang rape allegations. It was a pre-planned conspiracy," she said....