Lalitpur Rape Case: Absconding SHO Arrested In Prayagraj. NHRC Seeks Report In 4 Weeks

The absconding SHO has been arrested from Prayagraj on charges of sexually assaulting the rape survivor, the Prayagraj ADG said. 

(Representative Image/Getty)

Prayagraj: The Uttar Pradesh Police arrested the absconding Station House Officer (SHO) accused of sexually assaulting a minor rape survivor from Prayagraj on Wednesday, news agency PTI reported. According to reports, the 13-year-old girl, who was allegedly raped by four people, was raped again by the SHO of a police station in UP's Lalitpur district. The incident reportedly took place when the victim went to police station to lodge a complaint. 

The absconding SHO has been arrested from Prayagraj on charges of sexually assaulting the rape survivor, the Prayagraj ADG said. 

The Additional Director General of Police Prem Prakash told news agency PTI that the SHO Tilakdhari Saroj was arrested from near the Allahabad High Court earlier in the day.

Raids were conducted in Kaushambi, Prayagraj and Banda today in search of former SHO, sources close to ABP News said adding that the accused inspector was constantly changing his location. 

Earlier in the day, the SHO was located in Banda, then came to Chitrakoot and then reached Prayagraj in the evening via Kaushambi.

The SHO was also constantly changing his mobile number. He had reportedly come to Prayagraj to seek legal opinion from a lawyer through one of his relatives.

Even the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sent notices to the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government and the state police chief over the gruesome act. The NHRC observed that the contents of the report, if true, amount to human rights violations of the victim.

The commission has issued notices to the chief secretary, and the director general of police, seeking a report within four weeks. So far, six people have been arrested in the case.

"The FIR was lodged under various sections of the IPC, including 363 (kidnapping), 376 (rape), 376 B (intercourse by public servant with woman in his custody), 120 B (conspiracy), POCSO Act and SC/ST Act," a police statement said.

Victim's mother informed that the girl was taken to Bhopal on April 22 where she was rape by four men for three days. The accused then left the victim at the Pali police station, where she was again raped by the SHO.

The girl reached a childline NGO later and narrated the whole incident during counselling. The NGO then reached out to the Superintendent of Police, after whose intervention, an FIR was registered on Tuesday.