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Bhopal gangrape case: Five policemen sacked, state forms SIT to probe crime

by IBNS 04 Nov 2017, 08:39 am

Bhopal, Nov 4 (IBNS): The Madhya Pradesh government on Friday has suspended five police officials in the wake of the Bhopal gangrape case, while forming a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the crime, reports said.

The five officials, SHOs of three police stations and two sub-inspectors, were stripped off their duties for alleged insensitivity and negligence in handling the case.

Reports also stated that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan called a senior level meeting, comprising of top bureaucrats and police officials. 

Meanwhile, the incumbent Madhya Pradesh government has come under heavy attack from the opposition, which rued the lack of law and order in the state in general and in the capital in particular.

"It took MP police 11 hours to file the case — absolutely shocking. Authorities must take strict and immediate action against perpetrators," tweeted Congress leader and chief whip in the Lok Sabha Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Congress spokesman K K Mishra added, "When police behave in such a manner with their own colleagues, one can imagine what must be happening to the common man.’’ 

The victim, a 19-year-old girl, was allegedly abused for three hours by a gang of four men, who took turns in assaulting her physically.

She is preparing for state civil services examination and her parents are both staffers with the police.

In her complaint, she said that while returning from her coaching class, a man grabbed her hand near the Habibganj railway station.

The man was later identified by police as a ragpicker.

Though he was pushed aside by the girl the man later called another friend and with his help dragged her near a culvert and raped her.

Detailing the ordeal, she said while one perpetrator went to get her clothes, the other watched over her.

However, it was far from over as the man returned with two others, who later abused her too.

She said that after she collapsed, the men took her mobile phone and earrings and fled the spot.

Later, she reached the Railway Protection Force station and contacted her father, where he works as a RPF sub-inspector.

What followed was described by the family of the victim as worse than the crime itself as they were made to do rounds of several police stations.

On Wednesday, the victim along with her parents first approached the M P Nagar police station, then Habiganj police station and lastly Habibganj Government Railway Police station, as policemen took time to decide the right place where the complaint should be filed.

On one such instance, the family said that a policeman at Habibganj Railway Police station laughed off the incident as 'filmy'.

However, after much persuasion, the complaint was lodged and according to IG (law and order) Makrand Deuskar, three people have been arrested.

They have been identified as Golu Bihari, Amar and Rajesh.

Police are searching for the fourth rapist.