Probe against CRPF men for ‘molesting’ schoolgirls
Hostel warden files plaint against unknown troopers
RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh Police has started an investigation against unknown personnel following a complaint that Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers molested a group of schoolgirls at a government hostel in the Maoist stronghold of Dantewada during a cultural programme.
The probe was launched after the warden complained to police. Palnaar, where the alleged incident took place, is 25km from the district headquarters of Dantewada. “We have received a complaint from the warden of the hostel against unknown men in uniform and started investigation,” said Abhishek Pallav, additional superintendent of police (ASP) in Dantewada, told HT.
“An FIR under Section 354 of IPC has been registered promptly at Kuakonda police station. More sections can be added based on Section 164 of the CrPC and statements of victims,” he said.
Pallav also said the issue is a serious one and proper investigation in the case will be carried out. “The statement of the girls will be taken and the accused will be identified,” he added.
On Monday, the director general of CRPF also sought a detailed report on the incident. The CRPF has also constituted a four- member committee to probe the accusation, which will be led by the DIG ( CRPF) Dantewada.
“We have also demanded the district administration constitute a magisterial inquiry,” AK Singh , DIG (CRPF), told HT.
The matter came to light after an activist, Himanshu Kumar, wrote a Facebook post on Sunday about the alleged molestation.
“There was a programme of a private news channel on Rakshabandhan going on in the hostel in which the CRPF personnel were invited, so that the girls could tie rakhi on July 31. When the programme concluded, few girls went to the toilet and there they were molested by the CRPF personnel,” Kumar told HT.
“The personnel molested them in the name of frisking. The warden later complained about the act to senior administrative officers but nothing was done,” he said. Kumar claimed the CRPF camp in Palnaar is just 100m from the hostel and that other atrocities of the CRPF officers were also reported in the recent past.
Tribal leader Soni Sori visited the school a couple of days back but the warden did not allow her to enter the school. The alleged molestation can potentially snowball into a crisis in Bastar where security forces have been accused of human rights abuse and rape. The state government has been making efforts to wean away the younger generation from Maoist influence.