Minor girl detained: SC seeks explanation from UP govt

New Delhi, April 10: The

has demanded an explanation from the

government for the shocking detention of a minor girl who was raped by a 28-year-old man on Sunday. The victim had actually approached the Bulandshahr police along with her parents to file a complaint against the accused Harendra but the insensitive cops put her in the lockup.

"How can the police detain a ten-year-old girl?" the apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir demanded to know on Wednesday. The state government has been directed to respond on April 15 when the next hearing in the matter is scheduled.

Reports say Harendra abducted the girl while she was going to a shop located near her home to buy some things. She was taken to an agricultural field where Harendra forced himself on her.

Sometime later, the girl's family found her lying unconscious in the field. On regaining consciousness in the evening, she revealed that Harendra had raped her. The girl's parents therefore went to the Kotwali Nagar police station and lodged a FIR against him.

The cops sent the girl to a hospital for medical tests. On Sunday night, she was put behind bars in the all-women police station (Mahila Thana).

Neither the station in-charge Gayashree Chauhan nor sub-inspector Sarita Dwivedi bothered to look into her complaint as they were busy preparing for a monthly crime meeting convened by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gulab Singh.

On Monday, a journalist working for a news channel got to know that the rape survivor is languishing in lockup for no fault of hers. He went to the station and filmed her there. Subsequently, Gulab Singh was shown the footage. He immediately ordered that the girl be released.

Gayashree Chauhan and Sarita Dwivedi have since been removed from the Mahila Thana. Two women constables attached to the station have also been suspended.

The Bulandshahr police said that Harendra was taken into custody on Tuesday.

OneIndia News