Class IX girl gang-raped in Siwan district, three detained

PATNA: Locals paralysed vehicular traffic at Chainpur Bazar in Siwan district on Thursday to protest the failure of police to arrest those involved in the alleged gang rape of a minor girl on Wednesday evening.
The 14-year-old, a Class IX student of a government school, had gone missing from her coaching institute under Chainpur police outpost at 2pm on Wednesday.Her relatives lodged a missing case and later found her lying in an unconscious state in the toilet of the institute.
Siwan SP Abhinav Kumar told this newspaper over phone on Thursday that the minor was rushed to the hospital after being recovered from the premises of the coaching institute at 7pm on Wednesday. “A medical board was set up by the civil surgeon of the district to conduct her medical examination. Earlier, her statement was recorded before a judicial officer under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code,” he said.
The SP added, “The report of the medical examination is awaited and police do not have the girl’s statement that was recorded before a judicial officer. Under such circumstances, how can action be initiated against the accused.”
The minor’s relatives, on the other hand, alleged that she was raped by the director of the institute, Mohammad Javed, and two others. Javed is a resident of Gola Bazar in Siwan district. The SP said, “All the three suspects have been detained for interrogation.”
Unsatisfied with police action, the girl’s relatives and some local residents forced closure of the shops at Chainpur Bazar and put up road blockades at different places. They demanded immediate action against the accused. “The accused are being shielded by police for political reasons,” the girl’s uncle said.
Meanwhile, independent MLA Karanjeet Singh alias Vyas Ji visited the sadar hospital in Siwan to know the health condition of the survivor. The issue is likely to snowball into a major political controversy as the girl and the accused belong to two different communities. “We have taken all precautionary measures to ward off any untoward incident,” Siwan SDPO Jitendra Pandey said.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault).