The Deonar police have finally added section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code in the case of a seven-year-old child’s rape allegedly by a police informer’s (khabri) kin. The child’s mother had levelled serious allegations against the police, asserting that they deliberately didn’t invoke the rape charge because the accused is the brother of a khabri, the FPJ had earlier reported.
The woman’s advocate Sameer Khateeb said, “The police added the section on Thursday. This week, there was a court date at the metropolitan magistrate’s court in Kurla where we submitted an application. The victim’s second statement was recorded via an online camera in front of the magistrate, where she narrated her ordeal. Subsequently, the judge directed the police to add the ‘rape’ section or take appropriate action.”
In a letter to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone VI) Hemraj Singh Rajput, the woman said that the ‘khabri’ even offered Rs70,000 to withdraw the complaint. The doctors followed the instructions of women cops and accordingly prepared a medical report to dilute the case, she said.
“The Deonar police did not register the crime of sexual intercourse and threat against the accused despite a valid complaint made by me. The accused has been allowed judicial custody without the appropriate charge of sexual intercourse,” said the woman in her letter sent on February 9.
Alleging that the family members of the accused were issuing threats, she further said that the police have failed to provide them adequate protection. The mishandling of the case and the failure to conduct a proper panchnama of the crime scene has resulted in the destruction of crucial medical evidence, underlined the woman.
She further said, “The medical examination of my daughter was performed as per instructions by the police. At the hospital, I was removed from the room (where my child was being checked) and was not allowed to see the medical process. I say that my daughter has not only been sexually assaulted but also raped by the accused.”
