Teen allegedly raped in Kanpur; local journalist held, cop's role under scanner
Kanpur (UP)(PTI): A local journalist has been taken into custody and a police constable's role is also under investigation in connection with the alleged abduction and gang rape of a 14-year-old girl in Kanpur's Sachendi area, officials said on Wednesday amid allegations of police apathy by the victim's family
According to the complaint, the minor, a class 7 dropout, had stepped out of her home around 10 pm on Monday night when she was allegedly abducted by two men travelling in an SUV. One of the accused was wearing a police uniform.
The girl told the police that she was taken to a deserted location near a railway track in Sachendi, where she was allegedly sexually assaulted inside the vehicle for nearly two hours. She was later abandoned in an unconscious state outside her house, they said.
The victim's brother said he found her lying outside the house around midnight in a semi-conscious condition, according to the complaint. He said he immediately alerted the police by dialling 112, but alleged that no prompt action was taken.
The family later approached senior officials on Tuesday, following which an FIR was registered under sections related to kidnapping and gang rape.
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The girl's brother alleged that when the family informed the police personnel that one of the accused was a policeman, they were turned away from a local police outpost.
Only after approaching senior officers was the case registered, he claimed, adding that the names of the accused were initially omitted from the complaint.
The police said that efforts are on to identify and arrest the police constable, and stressed that the investigation is being conducted with complete transparency.
The victim has undergone a medical examination and the report is awaited, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Dinesh Tripathi said.
"An FIR was initially registered against unknown persons under sections related to abduction and gang rape apart from under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act," Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Dinesh Tripathi told PTI.
Initially, the case was registered on the basis of the complaint against two unidentified accused persons, he said.
"During the investigation, the involvement of a police constable and a local journalist identified as Shivbaran came to light. The journalist has been taken into custody and is currently being questioned," he said.
"His arrest will be made after the interrogation is completed," the DCP said, adding efforts are on to identify and arrest the police constable involved in the case.
"All necessary steps are being taken, and the investigation is being conducted with complete transparency," Tripathi said.
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I-PAC chief Pratik Jain’s family files police complaint alleging theft during ED raids at home
Kolkata (PTI): The family of Pratik Jain, chief of political consultancy firm I-PAC, on Thursday filed a police complaint against the Enforcement Directorate (ED), alleging theft of important documents during a raid at home, an officer said.
The search operation, which began at 6 am, continued for over nine hours, an official of the probe agency said, adding that ED officials left Jain's residence on Loudon Street in the southern part of the city around 3 pm.
"Shortly after that, Pratik Jain's wife filed a complaint at Shakespeare Sarani police station alleging theft by the ED. It is alleged in the complaint that essential documents were stolen from their home during the raid," the police officer told PTI.
"We have received a formal allegation of theft against the ED and are investigating the matter. Appropriate action will be taken based on the findings," he added.
The ED on Thursday conducted searches at the office of Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and the home of its director Pratik Jain, in Kolkata as part of a money laundering probe into an alleged multi-crore rupee coal pilferage scam, official sources said.
Apart from providing political consultancy to the TMC, the I-PAC also manages the party’s IT and media operations.
The firm's office in Salt Lake and Jain's residence on Loudon Street are among about 10 premises, including four in Delhi, being raided by the federal probe agency in the presence of central paramilitary teams.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee dramatically turned up at Jain's residence first and then his office in Salt Lake amid an ongoing ED raid and alleged that the central agency was attempting to seize the TMC's internal documents, hard disks and sensitive data linked to its election strategy.
Assembly elections in West Bengal are due in the first half of this year.
