UP Police SHO suspended after minor rape victim's suicide

An SHO here was suspended by his superiors on Friday on charges of laxity in connection with the suicide of a 16-year-old gangrape victim.

Sambhal (UP): An SHO here was suspended by his superiors on Friday on charges of laxity in connection with the suicide of a 16-year-old gangrape victim. The SHO was suspended because he failed to make any arrests even after two weeks of filing of the FIR in the incident, DIG, Moradabad Range, Shalabh Mathur said. Mathur along with District Magistrate Manish Bansal and Superintendent of Police Chakresh Mishra visited the village of the deceased and met with her family members.

Speaking to the media in the village, Mathur said, "Prima facie laxity in duty on the part of police appears in the case. No arrest was made in the gangrape case. Due to this the SHO of Kud Fatehgarh Police Station Ajit Singh has been suspended." The officer added that he has assured the family members of the deceased of a swift inquiry in the case. The DM after meeting the family announced that the brother of the victim will be given a contractual job in the local municipality.

The girl had hanged herself on Tuesday after allegedly being pressured by the families of the accused for a settlement, according to police officials. The Investigating Officer in the case too was suspended on Thursday by the SP. Police said the post mortem report confirmed hanging to be the cause of the girl's death.

Police arrested one of the accused on Wednesday, and three others on Thursday. All arrests came after the girl committed suicide. An FIR in the matter was lodged on August 15 on the complaint of the girl's family alleging she was gangraped. The girl's family told the police that families of the accused had been forcing the girl to enter into a settlement which drove her to commit suicide. (PTI)