UP police handling rape cases with sensitivity: DGP; CM calls emergency meeting

Amid a spate of rape incidents involving minors in Uttar Pradesh recently, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Monday issued a slew of directions to the state police, including increasing foot patrolling in rural areas and making anti-Romeo squads more active.

"We are dealing with such cases with full sensitivity and acting promptly. We will be fast-tracking these cases," Uttar Pradesh DGP O P Singh told reporters here after an emergency review meeting convened by the chief minister to discuss the matter threadbare.

Cases of alleged rape of minors in Aligarh, Kushinagar, Hamirpur, Kanpur and Meerut have come to light in recent days, sparking outrage in the country.

"There are two factors in these recent incidents. Firstly, they took place in rural areas. Secondly, the crime was committed by those who were known to the victims," the Director General of Police said, adding the chief minister has taken a serious note of such incidents.

After the meeting, the DGP told reporters that a detailed discussion took place on the recent incidents.

"In all these cases, the police acted promptly and arrested the accused. Statements of the victims are being recorded and local police are taking all measures for prosecution of the accused. Be it Kushinagar, Hamipur or Aligarh - the progress made in all these cases were reviewed," he said.

"It was also decided in the meeting that documentation of all the accused involved in such cases should be done," he said.

Singh said the police will be asked to enhance foot patrolling in rural areas to avoid recurrence of such incidents.

Besides, the anti-Romeo squads of the state police will be made more active and effective in future and all women helpline numbers will be integrated with Dial 100 (police emergency number), he said.

The anti-Romeo squds of the state police were introduced to check incidents of eve-teasing in 2017 when the Yogi Adityanath government came to power.

In Aligarh, a toddler was strangulated to death after her father failed to repay a loan of Rs 10,000. The body of the girl was found in a garbage dump, days after she was reported missing.

A 12-year-old girl was dragged from her house and allegedly gang raped in Kushinagar, while a 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a teacher inside a seminary in Kanpur.

In another incident, the naked body of a girl (10) was found in a field in Hamirpur.

In Meerut, a 9-year-old girl was allegedly raped and strangled to death and her body dumped in a sewer. The girl went missing on June 4 and her body was found two days later.