PATIALA/CHANDIGARH, Dec 27:
An 18-year-old girl committed suicide, 44 days after she was allegedly gangraped and police failed to Act against the accused.
Punjab Police tonight sacked two of its personnel, including an Assistant Sub Inspector, and suspended a DSP besides ordering a probe into police inaction against the rape accused for a long time. The probe will be conducted by a senior police officer.
All the three rape accused, including Shinderpal Kaur, were arrested only today.
Police sources in Patiala said today that on the night of Diwali (November 13) the girl of village Badshahpur was allegedly raped by Balwinder Singh and Gurpreet Singh with the connivance of one woman Shinderpal Kaur.
The victim had reported the matter to the police station Ghaggha of the district but the Station House Officer of Ghagga Police Station Gurcharan Singh registered the FIR after 14 days-on November 27–under various Sections of the IPC including 363, 376 and 34 IPC.
Police sources said Gurcharan used to ask the victim embarassing questions relating to the alleged rape every time she used to visit the police station to find out about follow-up action on her complaint.
They said the girl consumed poisonous substance at her house and succumbed in a nearby hospital last night.
The Investigation Officer of the case Assistant Sub Inspector Nasib Singh failed to complete his probe into the case while Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of Patran Harpreet Singh, under whose jurisdiction the crime spot fell, did not take any action in the matter, resulting in the girl committing suicide.
On the basis of a preliminary inquiry, Harpreet Singh was suspended and Gurcharan Singh and Nasib Singh were sacked.
Inspector General of Police, Patiala Parmjit Singh Gill said the SHO had not only delayed the registration of case but did not inform the senior officers about the incident.
Following the suicide by the girl last night, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who holds the Home portfolio, today asked DGP Sumedh Singh to take immediate and strictest possible action against the guilty police officers who had delayed investigation and action against the rape accused.
Badal said in a statement that he would not tolerate any insensitivity and dereliction of duty especially in cases of crime against women.
He asked IG Zonal Patiala, Parmjit Singh Gill to conduct a thorough inquiry to fix the responsibility of the guilty officers and submit a report within a week.
Gill had earlier asked Superintendent of Police (Detective) had Pritpal Singh Thind to conduct an inquiry and submit his report within a week. But taking into account the seriousness of the crime, Sukhbir asked the IGP to probe the case himself.
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Amarinder Singh expressed shock over the tragic and shameful rape of a girl and her subsequent suicide following the alleged pressure by the police to compromise with her rapists at village Badhshahpur Gagga near Samana. (PTI)
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