UP policemen thrashed by mob for not registering rape complaint

Policemen were attacked and senior district officials roughed up in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar late Friday for refusing to lodge a complaint about the rape of a mentally challenged woman. The situation was brought under control only on Saturday, an official said.

The victim was raped Tuesday near Basi village graveyard, but her family learnt about it only on Friday. The victim's brother went to lodge a complaint with the police but the station house officer (SHO) of Dulhera allegedly refused to do so.

Incensed at the SHO's refusal to lodge a complaint, hundreds of villagers from Palda, Rasoolpur Jatan, Mukandpur, Kutba-Kutbi, Kamalpur, Shahpur and Kakda villages protested at the Shahpur police station.

They also manhandled the SHO who was chased on to the road and beaten up.

When the news reached the district administration, top officials, including District Magistrate Kaushalraj Sharma and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) H.N. Singh, rushed to the spot.

The SSP was also not spared by the mob and his uniform was torn.

The crowd was angry that the police not only refused to register a case, but also refused to send the victim for a medical examination.

Sensing that the situation might get out of control, the DM ordered a medical examination of the woman.

The state government also intervened midnight and suspended six policemen, including circle officer (CO) of Shahpur.

The situation was brought under control Saturday, though additional police force has been deployed, an official told IANS.

Muzaffarnagar in western Uttar Pradesh was the scene of communal riots in September 2013, leaving 63 dead and thousands homeless.

The riots had started after the police let off some youths accused of molesting a girl. When the brothers of the girl protested, they were shot dead.