Ghaziabad police arrest rape accused but only after SSP intervenes

It took a demonstration by over a hundred people and a strongly-worded order by the city SSP for Ghaziabad police to arrest a man who was accused of raping a minor girl on June 19.

A case was registered, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, against Suhail Khan for raping a Dalit minor girl on June 19.

But he was arrested only on Monday when newly-posted Senior Superintendent of Police J.S. Emmanuel ordered that the accused be arrested immediately after over a hundred people demonstrated in front of the police office against the inaction.

"The police did not attempt to arrest the accused till date despite over a week having passed. The police summoned the accused to the police station once but let him off after questioning," said Pradeep Chauhan, leader of sanitary workers association, who led the demonstration.

Chauhan also alleged that police could not muster courage to arrest the accused due to "political pressure from Lucknow" as he is a Muslim.

"We have arrested the culprit," said SP City Salman Taj Patil.

--IANS

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