Minor NEET aspirant held hostage, raped for over six months in Kanpur; 2 teachers arrested
Kanpur (UP), Nov 9: A minor student from Fatehpur who moved here to prepare for her medical entrance exam NEET at a prominent coaching institute was allegedly held hostage for over six months and raped by two of its teachers, police said on Saturday.
They said the ordeal began for the student in December 2022, when she was putting up at a city hostel. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Kalyanpur) Abhishek Pandey said the case was registered on Friday after she approached the Kalyanpur police station.
Both teachers -- Sahil Siddiqui, who taught biology, and Vikas Porwal, who taught chemistry -- have been arrested and charged with offences of rape, wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation and under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act. The student was 17 years old when this happened.
In her complaint, the survivor told police that in December 2022, Siddiqui invited her to his friend's flat in Kalyanpur's Makdi-Khera area for a New Year's party, saying other students would be there as well.
She alleged that when she reached the flat, she found only Siddiqui there who drugged her by lacing her soft drink with sedatives and raped her while also recording the episode on video.
According to the complaint, Siddiqui allegedly held her hostage in his flat for over six months, during which he repeatedly raped her and also threatened to share the video online if she spoke to anyone about it.
The student alleged that Porwal raped her a few months after this.
She said in the FIR that she could not muster the courage to seek police help as she was afraid that it might land her family in danger.
Six months later, the girl's mother arrived in Kanpur and took her along.
Initially, the girl was hesitant to approach the police but she made up her mind to take the step when she came across a video showing Siddiqui sexually harassing a coaching student.
The case was registered against the two teachers under Indian Penal Code sections 328 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an offence), 376(2)(n) (commits rape repeatedly on the same woman), 344 (wrongful confinement for 10 or more days) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and the POCSO Act, an official said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
CJI's advice to aspirant: Join the bar, become a lawyer, don't hanker for judicial services post
New Delhi (PTI): She came to the Supreme Court seeking a re-evaluation of her paper in the examination for joining judicial services as a magistrate. What she got instead was a rejection — and a candid confession by the Chief Justice that he too had wanted to join the judicial services in his youth but was advised by a senior judge to become a lawyer instead.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi on Friday dismissed a plea filed by Prerna Gupta, the judicial services aspirant.
As Gupta pressed her case, the CJI intervened and said, "Let me share my personal story and I hope you will go happily as we cannot allow your petition."
He recounted his time as a final-year law student in 1984 when he wanted to become a judicial officer. As per requirement, he cleared the written test and was set to appear for an interview.
Judicial services is one of the two routes to become a judge after initially joining as a magistrate in lower court and thereafter rising through the ranks to become judge in a high court and possibly the Supreme Court.
The other route is to join the Bar, which means becoming a lawyer, and after building a reputation be picked from the Bar to become a judge at a senior level.
By the time the CJI's exam results came out, he had started practising at the Punjab and Haryana High Court when he was called for the interview.
The senior-most judge on the interview panel happened to be a judge before whom he had recently argued two significant matters.
"One of the matters was Sunita Rani vs Baldev Raj, where he had allowed my appeal in a matrimonial case and set aside the decree of divorce granted by the District Judge on the ground of schizophrenia," he noted.
Before the interview could take place, the judge called the young Surya Kant to his chamber and asked, 'Do you want to become a judicial officer?'
"I said 'yes.' He immediately said, 'Get out from (my) the chamber.'"
The courtroom fell silent as the CJI Justice described his initial heartbreak.
“I came out trembling. All my dreams were shattered. I thought he had snubbed me and that my career was over,” the CJI said.
However, the story took another turn the following day and the judge summoned him again, this time offering a piece of advice that would change the trajectory of his life.
“He said, ‘If you want to become (a judge), you are welcome. But my advice is, don’t become a judicial officer. The Bar is waiting for you,’” Justice Surya Kant recalled.
The CJI said he decided to skip his interview and didn't even tell his parents at first, fearing their disappointment, and instead chose to dedicate himself to his practice as an advocate.
“Now tell me did I make a bad right or bad decision,” the CJI asked and the litigant lawyer left the court with a smile on her face despite her case being dismissed.
Encouraging the petitioner to look toward the future rather than dwelling on the re-evaluation of a single paper, Justice Surya Kant said, "The Bar has much to offer."
