Lalitpur: Cop rapes rape survivor who went to file complaint
In a shocking incident from Uttar Pradesh's Lalitpur, a 13-year-old teen was allegedly raped by the Station House Officer (SHO) of a police station where she had gone to complain against her rapists, PTI reported. The now-suspended SHO, who was absconding, has been arrested from Prayagraj. The police said three other accused were also arrested, adding the FIR was registered against five people.
Why does this story matter?
The Lalitpur incident exposes women's safety issues in Uttar Pradesh. The state earned a dubious reputation for registering the second-highest number of rape cases in the country after Rajasthan, according to the National Crime Records Bureau's 2020 data. In 2020, Rajasthan recorded 5,310 rape cases, while UP came in second with 2,769 cases, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 2,339 and Maharashtra with 2,061 cases.
Four men took teen to Bhopal, gang-raped her
The teen was allegedly raped by four men who lured and took her to Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh on April 22, stated the FIR lodged by the girl's father on Tuesday. The four men reportedly gang-raped her in Bhopal for four days. She was back to her village by the same men who allegedly dropped her off at the aforementioned police station before fleeing.
SHO called teen to record statement against rapists
When she was dropped off by the four men, the SHO handed the teen over to her aunt and asked her to come to the police station again the next day for recording a statement. However, when the girl and her aunt went the next day, the accused SHO allegedly took her inside a room in the police station and raped her, officials said.
SHO charged under POCSO Act
Later, the girl reportedly approached Childline NGO and narrated the whole incident during counseling. The NGO reached out to Superintendent of Police Nikhil Pathak, following which the FIR was registered on Tuesday. Lalitpur Police charged the SHO with rape and under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The girl's aunt was also named in the FIR as an accused.
Congress, Samajwadi Party slam Yogi Adityanath government
Opposition parties such as the Congress and the Samajwadi Party have attacked the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government over the Lalitpuri incident. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the alleged rape incident showed "how genuine law and order reforms are being suppressed in the noise of bulldozers". Questioning women's safety, Samajwadi Party asked where should "daughters go" and "whom to trust" in this government.
