Lucknow Harassment Case Sees 16 Arrests and Police Accountability, CM Vows for Rapid Justice

A woman was groped by a group of men on a waterlogged street, leading to the arrest of 16 individuals and disciplinary action against eight policemen, including a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP). Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath made a cryptic remark in the assembly, stating that a bullet train would be run for the offenders.

The incident occurred on Wednesday in the upscale Gomti Nagar area. The woman was riding pillion on a motorcycle when she was targeted. Following this, five police officers, including the local police station in-charge, were suspended for negligence. Additionally, the DCP East Lucknow, an additional DCP, and an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) were reassigned.

Chief Minister's Remarks

While discussing the state's supplementary budget in the assembly, Chief Minister Adityanath mentioned two of the alleged offenders by name. "The first criminal is Pawan Yadav, the other criminal is Mohammed Arbaaz. These are people of ‘sadbhavna’ (goodwill)," he said. He added that no ‘Sadbhavna train’ would be run for them. "Inkey liye bullet train chalegi, chinta mat karo (The bullet train will run for them, don't worry)," Adityanath told the House.

He further stated that preparations for the bullet train were underway and warned that anyone who jeopardises women's safety would face consequences. A video circulating on social media shows a group of men splashing water on a motorcycle as it navigates through a flooded road. The men then surround the motorcycle and begin pulling it from behind.

Police Action and Arrests

The police took swift action after becoming aware of the incident. An FIR was lodged at Gomti Nagar police station, and four teams, including a crime team, were formed to apprehend the culprits. As a result, 16 accused were arrested based on evidence and CCTV footage. Additional relevant sections were added to the FIR.

The accused were charged under sections 1912 for rioting and 74 for assault or use of criminal force with intent to outrage modesty, among other provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Lucknow Police Commissioner Amrendra Kumar Sengar stated that two of the arrested individuals, Pawan Yadav and Sunil Kumar, were identified through CCTV footage on Wednesday night. They led police to two others, Mohammed Arbaaz and Viraj Sahu.

Disciplinary Measures

Acknowledging apparent negligence in handling the situation, DCP East Lucknow Prabal Pratap Singh, Additional DCP Amit Kumawat, and ACP Anshu Jain were removed from their positions immediately. Inspector in-charge Deepak Kumar Pandey, police post in-charge Rishi Vivek, sub-inspector Kapil Kumar, and constables Dharmveer and Virendra Kumar were also suspended.

The video shows that amidst the chaos, while the man driving the motorcycle tries to push through, at least one of the accused gropes the woman riding pillion. The men stop pulling the motorcycle only when she falls down.

This incident has sparked widespread outrage and calls for stricter measures to ensure women's safety in public spaces. The swift action by law enforcement has been seen as a step in the right direction but also highlights ongoing issues within police ranks regarding negligence and accountability.