Minor brother of harassment victim booked under Goonda Act in UP

KANPUR: The minor brother of a girl who attempted suicide after allegedly facing sexual harassment from a man in her locality has been booked under the Goonda Act in Kanpur Dehat district, their mother said. The police have said that a probe had been launched into the matter.

The case came to light when the girl attempted suicide on Tuesday. She was admitted to a hospital in Kanpur, where she is undergoing treatment.

According to her mother, the girl was being stalked and harassed by a man from her locality for more than a year. In September last year, the man confronted the girl publicly, which led the family to decide to file a police case, said the mother.

The mother of the girl said when they approached police to file a complaint, officials booked her son -- a Class 9 student -instead. She named a police officer saying he was trying to dissuade the family from filing a complaint. “He even threatened to lodge a counter-fir against my daughter and other family members,” said the mother.

“My son had to furnish a bond in the sub-divisional magistrate’s (SDM) court. The police had mentioned him as a threat to society,” she added.

Subsequently, the family met the Kanpur Dehat superintendent of police, Swapnil Mamgain, who ordered registration of an FIR against the accused in

December. The mother said the harassment of her family grew after the complaint was filed. “Thereafter, all hell broke loose. After the police booked my son under Goonda Act, we became apprehensive and decided to go to Noida where we stayed for two months,” she said.

“We returned to our village thinking that things might have changed. But the harassment began again,” she said.

“The issue is in the knowledge of police and stern action would be initiated against whosoever is involved,” said ADG (Kanpur zone) Bhanu Bhaskar.