A constable of the SR Puram police station was arrested Wednesday for allegedly raping a Dalit girl (17) while she was in custody. The sub-inspector, assistant sub-inspector and another constable of the police station were suspended for dereliction of duty.
At a media conference here Wednesday, superintendent of police Kanthi Rana Tata said a preliminary enquiry has revealed that the constable, Gopi (32), illegally detained a Dalit girl of Pullurmitta. She was brought to the police station for questioning in relation to an elopement case on Feb. 2. Gopi did not allow her to go home even after the enquiry was over.
When her parents begged to take her home, the constable refused saying that she had to remain at the police station till the SI, who was away at the time, returns and orders her release, the SP said.
After reaching home later, the girl told her parents that Gopi had sexually harassed her at the police station. When the parents went back to the police station to lodge a complaint, the men on duty refused to let them do so.
It is learnt that the elders of the village tried to hush up the incident by offering to settle the issue in the panchayat. The parents approached the Ambedkar Yuvajana Sevasangham president Rajkumar who submitted a petition to the SP narrating the alleged rape episode. This led to the arrest of Gopi.
SR Puram SI Ravi Naik, ASI Rajendra and constable Ramana, who were on duty on that day, were also suspended on charges of dereliction of duty.