LUCKNOW: After drawing flak from Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who tweeted a video clip showing a cop slamming a molestation survivor for donning certain apparel and accessories on Thursday, the misbehaving constable Taar Babu was suspended from service. A departmental inquiry was also ordered against him on late Thursday night.
An FIR was also lodged in the case of alleged molestation on the basis of victim’s complaint.
The video clip shows the victim, said to be aged around 16, narrating her trauma to head constable Taar Babu at Nazirabad police station in Kanpur on Wednesday. She names three youths — Ashiq, Amar Tiwari and Vicky — who allegedly molested her on Tuesday. She also claims that they tried to drag her away when she went to fetch water from a nearby hand pump. Instead of helping the victim by promptly lodging an FIR, the cop is seen reprimanding her for “wearing so many accessories to draw attention.” “This shows what kind of a woman you are,” the cop is seen saying to the victim.
Meanwhile, reacting to the incident Priyanka Gandhi shared the video on her twitter handle and wrote: “...Ek taraf Uttar Pradesh mein mahilaon ke khilaf apradh kam nahin ho rahe, dusri taraf kanoon ke rakhwalon ka ye bartav. Mahilaon ko nyay dilane ki pehli siri hai unki baat sunna (On the one hand, atrocities against women are not going down in Uttar pradesh, on the other this is the behaviour of the police. The first step towards helping women in distress is to listen to them),” she tweeted.
The girl also alleged that the head constable tore up her application and asked her to write what he dictated. She said she told the policeman that the three accused thrashed her brothers for protesting, but claimed the cop interpreted it the other way.
However, senior police official, while confirming that FIR was lodged in the case under Section 354 and 504 of IPC against Amar Tiwari and other two accused named by the victim, claimed that the girl was there to get a false molestation case registered against three persons to shield her brothers who had been evading police. In fact, alleged victim’s brothers had a scuffle with Amar Tiwari, Ashiq and Vicky.
During the brawl, Amar Tiwari dialled 100 and police reached the spot. As a result, victim’s brothers fled the spot and after some time the girl reached the police station to lodge complaint accusing Aman Tiwari and aides of molesting her.