Action against Pali police station in minor rape case; Priyanka Gandhi slams Modi govt

The entire Pali police station has been sent to lines by ADG zone Bhanu Bhaskar over the alleged rape of a minor by the station house officer when she went to lodge a complaint.

ADG (law and order) Prashant Kumar told reporters in Lucknow on Wednesday that DIG, Jhansi, has been asked to probe the incident in which a case has been lodged against six police personnel, including the SHO who is now absconding.

Three persons have been arrested in the matter.

Lalitpur District Superintendent of Police Nikhil Pathak said that four boys, all residents of Pali, had allegedly lured the 13-year-old girl and took her to Bhopal on April 22 where they gang-raped her for three days.

Later, they brought the girl back to Pali in Lalitpur, handed her over to Pali police station in-charge Tilakdhari Saroj and fled.

The police station in-charge then sent the girl, along with her aunt, to the Child Line centre.

Two days later, the police station in-charge called the girl on the pretext of taking her statement on the incident. He then allegedly raped her behind closed doors.

The girl was then again sent back to the Child Line centre, where, during a counselling session, she narrated her ordeal.

Following this, the Child Line team registered a complaint with the Superintendent of Police.

Taking note of the incident, the Superintendent of Police lodged a case against six people including the Pali police station in-charge under Sections 363 (kidnapping), 376 (rape), 376 B, 120 B (party to a criminal conspiracy), Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and SC/ST Act of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Station in-charge Tilakdhari Saroj was suspended and three accused were arrested in connection with the case. Meanwhile, teams were formed to nab other accused.

Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted on Wednesday that even police stations in UP were not safe for women.

She said that law and order was being buried under the noise of bulldozers. She urged the state government to increase presence of women police personnel in police stations.