Under fire from opposition parties, the Uttar Pradesh government has ordered a CB-CID probe into the alleged rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl in the premises of a police station in Lakhimpur district and a fresh post-mortem.
After the case sparked outrage, the government dismissed the earlier post-mortem report which said that death was caused due to asphyxia and ordered a new post-mortem of the victim by a panel of doctors from other districts.
An Fir has been lodged against a sub-inspector and two policemen for allegedly tampering with evidence.
Missing since Friday evening, the girl was found hanging from a tree inside the premises of Nighasan police station. The victim’s mother in her complaint had alleged that the girl was raped and murdered.
Police commissioner, Lucknow, Prashant Trivedi told reporters that “The standard operating procedure is that whenever a scene of crime is there, the scene should be left undisturbed as such but in this case it was not done. So we have held that as tampering and we have taken a strong view of it. We have lodged an Fir against a sub inspector and two constables.”
“Whenever there is death in police premises, it not like a normal death elsewhere, so more than normal precautions should be taken into any aspect of handling the case. We are very serious about getting to the truth in the matter. Right now we have visited the scene of the crime along with the mother of the victim,” he said.
“In this case we felt that during post-mortem a lady doctor should have been present and the chief minister has reviewed the matter,” he said.
The CB-CID has been asked to submit its report within a week’s time.
Eleven policemen posted at Nighasan police station were suspended after the girl’s body was found.
The incident has been condemned by Opposition parties with UPCC chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi saying, “It is a very shocking incident. Government is shielding the culprits. Police stations are not functional.”
Union minister of state for surface transport Jitin Prasad said the incident was an example of “deteriorating” law and order situation in the state.
Terming it as a “barbaric” incident, senior BJP leader Kalraj Mishra said, “Suspension of policemen is nothing more than farce.”
The Samajwadi Party said that a fact-finding committee of the SP led by leader of the Opposition in Vidhan Parishad Ahmad Hasan would be visiting Nighasan on June 14.
NCW chairperson Yasmeen Abrar said, “We will take suo moto cognisance of the incident. People are suffering under the UP government. It is indifferent to people’s plight.”
NHRC had on Sunday decided to send a probe team to the spot.
“The commission has decided to depute its investigation team for conducting an on the spot inquiry into the incident.It has also decided to issue notice to the director general police of the state, calling for a detailed report in the incident within four weeks,” an NHRC spokesperson said in New Delhi.
Lakhimpur police had on Sunday ruled out that the girl, who was found hanging inside the premises of a police station in Nighasan, was murdered citing the post-mortem report.
“The post-mortem report mentioned asphyxia, as a result of hanging, the cause of death which rules out the allegation of murder,” superintendent of police D.K. Rai had said.
He said there was no injury mark on the victim’s body though there was a minor abrasion on her right leg.