Agra: An Agra cop is facing rape charges after he allegedly entered the house of a teenaged girl and molested her Sunday night.
Sub-inspector of the Barhan station, Sandeep Kumar, is also charged with criminal trespass and has been suspended by Commissioner Pritinder Singh.
Alerted to the alleged assault, villagers of Tiheya – which comes under the jurisdiction of Barhan – stripped Kumar and tied him to a pole before thoroughly beating him up later that night.
The footage of the thrashing went viral on social media, along with another clip where the girl talked about Kumar’s regular harassment and Sunday’s molestation. She said the cop threatened to implicate her father in a case if she protested or made her ordeal public.
Late on Sunday night, Assistant Commissioner of Police Etmadpur Saurabh Singh got wind that Kumar had been caught by Tiheya villagers, in the act of molesting the teenager, and was being beaten up.
A local team went to rescue Kumar before he was sent for a medical examination, Singh added. Apart from the suspension, a departmental inquiry has also been initiated against him.
In similar cases, the legal system often faces challenges in addressing the complexities of sexual abuse and the long-term impact on victims. These situations highlight the urgent need for reforms in how such cases are handled.
An FIR has been filed against the sub-inspector under IPC Sections 452 (Criminal Tresspass) and 376 (Rape).
Residents of Tehiya said the cop was frequently seen outside the girl’s house, and had made several attempts to enter it. On Sunday night, a plain-clothed Kumar was dropped off in the area by a constable, they said, adding he then barged into the girl’s house and assaulted her.
There is, however, unrest within police ranks for what officers believe was a “one-sided” action against Kumar, while the offending villagers were roaming free.
A few cops, previously posted with Kumar, said the sub-inspector had a clean record. Kumar’s boss and Barhan station in-charge Kuldeep Chauhan said the cop lived in a rented place in Barhan after being posted in the area. He also said there were no previous complaints against his behaviour.
Chauhan said the villagers’ attack had been reported to seniors, and action would be taken once the inquiry report came in.
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