SHO among 3 cops suspended for dereliction of duty in Samba rape case

The mother of the minor girl approached the police station in Vijaypur but the SHO and other officials caused a delay in the registration of the case and exercised undue influence and changed the nature of the complaint while forcing the complainant to enter into a compromise with the accused, the officials said.

Jammu: Three policemen have been suspended and a deputy superintendent of police has been removed for alleged delay in the registration of a rape case in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district, officials said.

The officials said that on the orders of Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh, they will also face a departmental inquiry for dereliction of duty in the matter related to the rape of a minor girl. Station House Officer (SHO) Ali Imran, Assistant Sub-Inspector Rattan Lal, Head Constable Satwinder Singh, were placed under suspension and Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Vijaypur, Vishal Manhas, was removed from his post and attached with Zonal police headquarters for "poor supervision and control", the officials said.

As per the complaint, a heinous crime was committed against an 11-year-old girl by accused Shammi after entering her house in Bazigar Basti in Vijaypur tehsil on the intervening nights of April 16 and 17, they said.

The mother of the girl approached the police station in Vijaypur but the SHO and other officials caused a delay in the registration of the case and exercised undue influence and changed the nature of the complaint while forcing the complainant to enter into a compromise with the accused, the officials said. The minor girl and mother were not treated as per the laid down procedure of POCSO, they said.

As the DGP came to know about the case and the role of officials through a report from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), he ordered a probe through the crime branch, and a special team confirmed the commission of an offense against the minor girl, prompting the SHO to register a delayed case in this regard, they said.

As per the order issued by DGP, the conduct of some of these officials is unbecoming and warrants action as the duties were not performed in the given manner, which amounts to grave dereliction of duty. They connive in avoiding the registration of the case and investigation into the heinous crime, the order said. DGP also ordered a departmental inquiry against them headed by Commandant Radhmi Wazir.