Protest after report of UP student’s rape

nMEERUT: Students of a public university in Uttar Pradesh staged a protest on Saturday against the alleged abduction and rape of a fellow student.

According to Hapur deputy superintendent of police Tejveer Singh, the 21-year-old postgraduate student’s parents lodged a complaint when she did not reach home on Thursday evening. She studies at CCS University.

Police traced her mobile phone and rescued her from Siyana in Bulandshahr district, Singh said. “She has been admitted to a medical college in a critical condition but she is stable,” he said.

Inspector General of Police, Meerut zone, Praveen Kumar, said, “Investigation revealed that she went with her classmate on her own. She got injured after falling from a bike. Rape has not been confirmed in the medical report. This is not a case of abduction or gang rape.”

The casualty medical officer at Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical

College (LLRMC) in Meerut, Dr Harshvardhan, said, “Initial medical examination only helps in identifying whether someone has been raped or not, but its confirmation needs further lab testing which takes two to seven days’ time.”

Meanwhile, enraged by the IG’S statement, a large number of university students gathered outside his office, and staged the protest on Saturday.

The students questioned the claim of the IG. “How did the cops jump to conclusion so quickly,” a student asked. The IG said the main suspect had been detained and was being interrogated about the alleged incident.

Police said the girl was under treatment in Meerut Medical College Hospital and her father had lodged a case of gang rape in the Garh Mukteshwar police station of Hapur district under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. He named three persons -- Priyanshu Sharma, Aakash Dev and a man identified as Soni -- in the FIR for abducting and raping his daughter.