daughter of policeman gang-raped; case booked 2 days later
indo-asian news service
Bhopal, Nov 3: Madhya Pradesh, had its ‘claim to shame’ Friday when its police had to suspend five officers who allegedly gang-raped a 19-year-old girl. The girl, daughter of a police couple in Bhopal, was assaulted Tuesday. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had to hold a meeting with senior police officers Friday and order action against the errant officers before Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Sudhir Lad issued the orders for suspension.
Chouhan has also ordered formation of a special investigation team (SIT) headed by DIG Lad to probe the incident that happened Tuesday. The victim Puja (not real name), whose parents are police personnel themselves and posted in another city, was returning from coaching classes late Tuesday when she was accosted by four inebriated persons near the Habibganj Railway Station and raped by turn for three hours.
When the victim approached two city police stations to report the crime, though, they kept dilly-dallying over registering an FIR, citing that the area did not fall in their jurisdiction. The case was registered finally two days after the incident and two of the accused were arrested.
On Friday’s development, Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Makrand Deuskar said: “Officer In-charge of MP Nagar Police Station Sanjay Singh Bais, Habibganj Police Station In-charge Ravindra Yadav and In-charge of GRP Police Station of Habibgaj Railway Station Mohit saxena have been suspended on charges of dereliction of duty.”
Two Sub Inspectors of MP Nagar and GRP police stations had also been suspended, and the Superintendent of Police of MP Nagar area attached to the police headquarters, Deuskar said.
The Congress Friday launched a scathing attack on the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister over the gang-rape and the subsequent delay in lodging of the FIR.
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in state assembly Ajay Singh said: “Our Chief Minister claims that Madhya Pradesh is ahead of even America when it comes to women empowerment. But the claim stands exposed in the state capital only.”