INDIA: Supreme Court takes suo motu cognisance of custody of minor rape victim in Bulandsahr

Dhananjay Mahapatra, TNN.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday took suo motu cognisance of a Bulandsahr incident in which a minor rape victim and her mother were locked up by police for wanting to register complaint about the sexual assault.

The apex court issued a notice to the UP government seeking its response by Monday.

Desperately looking for an image makeover, the Uttar Pradesh Police suffered a major setback when a 10-year-old who was allegedly raped was thrown into a lockup in Bulandshahr. The officers responsible have been punished, police said.

The incident took place on Monday when a minor girl went with her mother to a women's police station to lodge a rape complaint against a 24-year-old.

But instead of addressing the concerns of the distraught woman and her daughter, the women officers abused and shooed away the mother while detaining the girl in the lock up, police said.

The incident is seen as a blow to the efforts of the state police engaged in efforts like going on social networks, opening up of public relations cells in districts and holding workshops to discipline and educate police personnel.

The girl was made to spend the night in the police station and was told that she "must have invited the rape".

Made to sleep on the floor, the girl was released when the local TV media recorded the incident and the footage was shown to senior police officers.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gulab Singh said on Tuesday that the station house officer (SHO) and a sub-inspector have been sent to the police lines and two constables have been suspended.

He said the girl has been released from the lockup and a probe has been ordered into the incident.

"A case against the youth who is alleged to have raped the minor girl has been lodged and efforts are on to nab him," a senior officer said.

(With inputs from IANS).

Source: Times of India (10/04/2013): http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/SC-takes-suo-motu-cognisance-of-custody-of-minor-rape-victim-in-Bulandsahr/articleshow/19473299.cms?