Police, para-military keep vigil in violence-hit Loni

Police and para-military forces continue to keep a vigil in Loni town of Ghaziabad district which witnessed a communal flare-up after a 65-year-old man allegedly raped a nine-year-old girl in his neighbourhood in this town bordering the national capital.

The mother of the victim, who hails from Etah town of Uttar Pradesh, said,"Sher Mohammad lured the child to his house Sunday evening and raped her there. I work in a private company in Delhi. Taking advantage of my absence the accused was trying to lure my daughter since long. But he succeeded Sunday and committed the crime. The police tried to make light of the matter when I went to lodge a complaint."

She said the police did not take it seriously when the child complained about the rape. "Why would my innocent child lie? But the police instead of conducting a scientific test misled us by claiming that they had not found any injury. Why had they not conducted a pathological test on vaginal swab," she said.

Angered at the lax attitude of the police, the residents blockaded the Delhi-Saharanpur road.

"We have registered a case of sexual assault against 65-year-old Sher Mohammad. He was arrested and produced before the court which sent him to 15-day judicial custody. Another case has been registered against 150 unidentified rioters who tried to disturb the peace of the city. No arrest has been made in the rioting case so far. An investigation is being conducted, video footage is being screened to identify rioters," said Loni police station inspector Gorakh Nath Yadav.

"The law and order situation is under control. The PAC, the RAF and civil police are keeping a close watch on every development in the city," said IG Police K Satyanarayan.