Two police officers were suspended in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur district on Wednesday for their alleged inaction in a case involving the gangrape of a minor, Deputy Inspector General of Police Jogendra Kumar said. A first information report was filed against them for negligence.
The incident took place on Tuesday night, when the complainant was returning home after a performance, NDTV reported. The complainant said that two other girls were with her. “They offered to drop me home, but I asked them to go on and [said that] I would manage to go alone,” she said in a video circulating online, according to NDTV. It was immediately unclear who took this video.
The complainant added that she was dropped off at a crossing near her home, India Today reported. She added that some men caught hold of her as she was walking. The woman said they gagged her and threatened to kill her.
On Wednesday, Kumar said that he and other senior police officers intervened after a video of the complainant began circulating on social media. “The district magistrate was also informed about the incident,” Kumar said in a video posted on Twitter. “A protection officer has been appointed as the support person for the complainant. Her statement has been recorded.”
The senior police official added that the complainant was taken to a police post but the in-charge there and a constable did not take action in the matter. “They have been suspended,” Kumar said. “An FIR is being filed against them under Section 166 of the Indian Penal Code [public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any person].”
After recording the minor’s statement, the police filed an FIR under Section 376D of the Indian Penal Code (gangrape) and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The main accused was taken into custody.
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