LUCKNOW: After the opposition parties launched a scathing attack on the UP government over the alleged rape of a minor girl by a police official in Lalitpur, the police have set up a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the incident.
The SIT was set up by the DIG of Jhansi Range based on the directives of higher police authorities. The SIT will be headed by SP Jhansi City Vivek Tripathi and would comprise the Circle Officers of Lalitpur and Jhansi.
The team is expected to visit the Pali police station, where the alleged crime occurred, and the survivor soon. It may be recalled that the girl, belonging to Scheduled Caste, had approached the Pali SHO to register a complaint of gang rape against four persons of her village last month.
SHO Tilakdhari Saroj, initially sent the minor to a child destitute home under the protection of her maternal aunt but called her to the police station after two days on the pretext of recording her statement in connection with the gang rape case. Saroj then took the girl to a room of the police station and allegedly raped her. He then fled the scene.
After the incident came to light, the SHO was immediately suspended and booked along with the survivor’s aunt and four others under relevant sections of the IPC. Two days after the incident, Saroj was arrested and sent to jail and the entire staff of Pali police station was replaced by a fresh contingent of 29.
As per information available, the girl was initially taken to Bhopal by four youths of her village. They gang raped her for four days before bringing her back to Lalitpur and leaving her near Pali police station last month.
CM Yogi Adityanath had taken a strong note of the incident during his recent visit to Jhansi. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had taken a jibe on the government saying the life and honour of the people was at stake under the present dispensation as they were not secure even in police station.