Gang rape, other IPC sections added to FIR

PRAYAGRAJ : The Prayagraj police have added the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for gang rape in the case of the murder of five members of a family at Khevrajpur village of Tharwai development block of the district last month, an official said. The step has been taken two weeks after the incident.

The sections that have been added in the FIR now include Section 376D (gang rape), 396 (murder during dacoity), 120 B (party to a criminal conspiracy to commit an offence punishable with death), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) and 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc).

Prayagraj senior superintendent of police Ajay Kumar said, “During interrogation of seven persons of an interstate gang of looters arrested for the crime on May 4, they had confessed to have gang raped two women, too, during the incident.”

“After the slide and swab report from Forensic Science Lab, Phaphamau on Friday confirmed gang rape, relevant sections of the crime have also now been added to the FIR registered in connection with the crime,” the SSP added.

The blood-soaked bodies of a cattle trader, his wife, daughter, daughter-in-law and one-yearold granddaughter were found in their house on April 23. They had been battered to death. The house was also found set on fire. A four-year-old girl was the only survivor in the house.

The only son of the cattle trader, who was not at home at the time of the incident, had lodged an FIR in connection with the incident. Despite his suspicion of sexual assault on his wife and his sister, the police at the time had registered an FIR only under the IPC section 302 for murder. The non-inclusion of rape sections in the FIR in the first instance had drawn flak from representatives of various political parties.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) had alleged a “massive cover-up” by Prayagraj police after a five-member delegation of the party had visited Khevrajpur village and met the kin of the victims on April 25.

The TMC had also written to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and met its chairman on April 29 in this regard.