The Supreme Court intervention over the police detention of a minor rape victim in Uttar Pradesh, came as a damning indictment of the ruling SP government in the state.
As local dailies carrying photographs of the girl languishing in the lock-up hit newsstands and the news of the SC snub spread, the Home Department got into a damage control mode.
Soon, DGP Ambrish Chandra Sharma announced the suspension of the Station House Officer of and three constables of the women’s police station, where the girl was meted out injustice. He also ordered registration of an FIR against them.
It was after a National Commission of the SC/ST Welfare team reached the spot on the next day that the local police arrested Harendra for raping the minor girl.
The SP Government is already under criticism, including from the top party leadershipm, for the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. On April 6, when party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav called a meeting of his MLAs to review the situation, majority of MLAs expressed their anger over the government’s failure to control the wayward police and the law and order situation which was “going beyond control”.
Police claimed to have arrested the accused.