21-year-old man booked for raping minor in Amritsar

AMRITSAR: Police booked a man for allegedly sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl in Amritsar on Wednesday. The accused has been identified as Baljit Singh,21, of Amritsar.

The incident took place on Sunday evening but the police registered a case on Wednesday saying that the victim and her family were unwilling to give statement against the accused.

However, few locals pasted a poster outside the accused’s shop alleging that the police have taken ₹10 lakh bribe for not taking action against him.

Police, however, denied the charges. SHO, E-division police station, Parvesh Chopra, said, as he was unable to get the victim’s statement till Wednesday so he could not register any case.

The local shopkeepers also showed a CCTV footage showing a team of D-division police station visiting the spot, along with the victim, and arresting the accused on Sunday night.

However, the SHO, said, on Sunday they had information that the victim was molested, following which the team had visited the area. But, the police did not register a molestation case on Sunday. ADCP-city1 Jagjit Singh Walia said, he requested district children welfare committee (DCWC) to intervene in the matter and convince the victim to give her statement.

The victim recorded her statement before the DCWC and a case was registered under the Section 4 of POCSO Act and Section 376 (rape) of IPC at D-division police station against the accused. DCW official Manpreet Kaur said, the victim told them that the accused had called her to his shop on Sunday evening, where he sexually abused her. The victim’s medical examinations will be conducted on Thursday.