LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh police arrested the Station House Officer (SHO) of Pali police station, who was accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old Dalit girl.
The SHO, Tilakdhari Saroj, was arrested by the Lalitpur from Prayagraj. He was already placed under suspension.
Prayagraj Additional Director General of Police Prem Prakash was quoted by a report as saying that the SHO was arrested near the Allahabad High Court.
With the arrest of the SHO, the number of arrested persons has gone up to four, including a woman, in the case so far. One person is still away from the police net.
“Taking cognizance of the issue, Additional Director General Kanpur Zone has ordered to attach the entire staff, comprising 29 police personnel, of Pali police station to the police lines,” said ADG ((Law and Order) Prashant Kumar adding that the strictest action would be taken in the case.
The ADG (Law and Order) said that the DIG Jhansi range has been asked by the UP DGP to conduct an inquiry into the matter and submit a report highlighting the conditions under which the SHO committed the crime. Moreover, the DIG would also probe the role /fault of the supervisory officer, others along with the SP, said Prashant Kumar.
The contingent of 29 cops who were deputed at Pali police station when the minor was allegedly raped by the SHO comprised six Sub-Inspectors, six head constables, 10 constables, five women constables, a driver, and a follower.
Apart from the SHO, the three persons arrested in the case, according to Lalitpur SP Nikhil Pathak, are Rajbhan, Mahendra, and Gulab Bai, who happens to be the victim’s aunt.
The minor girl was gang-raped by four men. She escaped from their clutches and approached the Pali police to lodge a complaint against the rapists when she was sexually assaulted by the SHO.
The survivor narrated the entire incident to the Lalitpur SP who then suspended the Tilakdhari Saroj and ordered a probe into the incident.
The rape survivor has been admitted to the district hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, taking cognisance of media reports, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary and the director-general of police. The NHRC sought a report within four weeks.
A statement issued by NHRC said it has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that a 13-year-old girl was raped by the in-charge of the police station in the Lalitpur district of Uttar Pradesh when she went to register an FIR about her gang rape.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, amount to human rights violation of the victim. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director-General of Police, Government of Uttar Pradesh calling for a report within four weeks.
According to the media report, carried today on May, 4, 2022, the officer concerned has been placed under suspension and an FIR has been registered against him. The relevant sections of the POCSO Act have been applied. Other police officers posted at the police station have also been removed from the duty and a DIG level officer will be investigating the case.