Mass rape:'Action against those making false statements possible'

Lucknow, July 18 (UNI) People found making false statements about the mass rape in Shravasti district of Uttar Pradesh could face action under the provisions of the law, Director General of Police (DGP) Vikram Singh said.

Talking to reporters here, the DGP said, if claims of mass rape were found to be false during the course of investigations, then people making such statements before officials could face punitive action. ''There are provisions in the law...let the investigations take shape,'' he said to a poser.

Almost 60 victims of the Dhannidih rape episode -- that echoed in the Uttar Pradesh legislature -- have recorded their statements.

So far, about 125 villagers of Dhannidih and Dharmantapur villages had recorded their statement in the presence of Devipatan Commissioner A K Singh.

Narrating the incident, the victims charged Ashok Mishra, brother of Uttar Pradesh minister of state for Ayurveda Daddan Mishra, with ''instigating'' the mob for violence.

Police and PAC in strength had been deployed in about 12 villages, including Dhannidih.

On July 10, a group of men led by the minister's brother allegedly molested four women from the minority community in Dhannidih. The incident was a fallout of elopement of a girl named Vandana with one Salim.

Houses of the minorities were allegedly looted and the mob of about 1,000 people led by the minister's sibling even paraded some women in naked.

The incident shook the state politics, following the alleged involvement of a UP minister brother.

Taking stock of the situation, the UP government on Friday had suspended Shravasti SP Luv Kumar and dismissed a station officer.

Circle Officer (CO) Maya Ram Verma was also placed under suspension.

The FIR of the case was registered on July 12 against 25 persons, of which several including the victim's father Krishnanadrai Dwivedi had been arrested.

Alleging a 'nexus' between the police and the accused, the Opposition Samajwadi Party alleged that the cops intentionally delayed the medical examination of the victims.

They mentioned that semen evidence gets destroyed, if medical examination is done after 48 hrs of any sexual assault and the police had started investigation after 56 hrs in this case.

UNI