New police staff posted; accused in judicial custody

LALITPUR (UP): New staff was posted at the Pali police station here where the SHO allegedly sexually assaulted a minor girl after she was dumped there by four youths following gang rape.

The accused SHO, Tilakdhari Saroj, has been sent to 14-day judicial custody.

DIG Jogendra Kumar had removed the entire staff of the Pali police station after the incident came to light.

While Dharmendra Singh has been made the new SHO of the police station, new staff has also been posted there.

SP Nikhil Pathak said the rape survivor’s aunt and two youths were sent to judicial custody by the court on Wednesday.

SHO Saroj was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl who was left outside his police station in Lalitpur by four men after they raped her for three days.

He was arrested from an area near the Allahabad High Court. Five others, including the girl’s aunt and the four men who had lured the victim to Bhopal and raped her, have been arrested as well.

Initially, SHO Saroj handed the victim over to her aunt but later on, under the pretext of recording her statement, called her to the police station and allegedly raped her there.

The NHRC had issued notices to the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary and the Director-general of Police asking them to submit a report in this regard within four weeks.

Opposition parties highlighted the vulnerability of the women in the state questioning where they should go to file their complaints and to whom they should trust.

Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak said strict action will be taken against the accused and the stringent National Security Act will be slapped against them.

An FIR was lodged under various sections of the IPC, including 363 (kidnapping), 376 (rape), 376 B (intercourse by public servant with woman in his custody), 120 B (conspiracy), the POCSO Act and the SC/ST Act.