29 UP cops named in 23 rape cases in 14 months: CM

As many as 29 Uttar Pradesh Police personnel were named in 23 cases of rape registered in the state in the 14 months beginning January 1 last year, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav told the assembly.

Yadav's written reply came in response to a question of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Shyamdev Rai Chowdhary.

The chief minister, who also holds charge of the home portfolio, said that between January 1, 2014, and February 28, 2015, as many as 23 cases of rape involving policemen, both inside police stations and elsewhere, were registered.

Of the 29 policemen named, only 11 were arrested. Two accused policemen surrendered in courts while the names of eight were left out from primary FIRs after probes.

Investigations in other cases were on, the chief minister said in his reply given on Tuesday.

The chief minister said charge sheets were filed in courts in 15 of the 23 cases and final reports submitted in the absence of tangible proofs in seven other cases.

Action under Police Service (Conduct) Rules was taken against three policemen by the department and, of these, two police constables from Aligarh were dismissed from service, he said.

Adverse entries in the service records of two police personnel were made while action was underway against the others, sources said.

Reacting to the reply, the BJP said the statistics were "both alarming and telling".

"Just imagine the extent of lawlessness in Uttar Pradesh. If this is what police are doing, I shudder even to talk about criminal and other elements on the loose in the state," state BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.