Hardoi: Sexual assault victim ends life as cop lets off accused

LUCKNOW: A class 11 student in Hardoi allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself in her house on Wednesday after police let off three youths accused of sexually assaulting her.
The father of 16-year-old Sakshi (name changed) had lodged a written complaint on Thursday with Hardoi superintendent of police Alok Priyadarshi, accusing Madahoganj police station in charge Amit Bhadauriya of being hand-in-glove with her tormentors.Taking cognisance of the complaint, the SP suspended the SHO on Friday and ordered a probe.
In his complaint, the victim’s father alleged that the girl was returning from her coaching class on June 17, when three youths intercepted her to inquire about an address and later assaulted her. “They abducted her to an isolated under-construction shop. She was rescued by passers-by when she raised an alarm,” he said. Later, the girl returned home and narrated the ordeal to her father.
Her father alleged that he went to lodge a case against the accused but the SHO refused to oblige. “Undeterred, my daughter decided to go along with me to the police station again on June 19 to lodge a named complaint against the youths but the SHO only gave an assurance,” he said. The next day, “I again went to meet the SHO to inquire about the case but he told me that he has warned the perpetrators to not repeat such an offence and let them off... My daughter could not bear this humiliation and committed suicide,” he added.
Priyadarshi told TOI that after getting a complaint from the victim’s father, he sought a report from the CO Bilgram.
“Prima facie, it has come to fore that the SHO sat on the complaint and did not lodge an FIR. He did not inform seniors despite a clear instruction and hence SHO Madhoganj was suspended. A probe has also been ordered into the incident by a Dy SP rank officer,” added Priyadarshi.