5 cops suspended, 14 others sent to police line for 'negligence' in rape and murder case against BJP leader

Five policemen, including a sub-inspector, were suspended and 14 others have been sent to the police line here for negligence in a rape and murder case against a local BJP leader, an official said on Sunday.

The action came after accused BJP leader Masoom Raza Rahi, the district president of the BJP's minority morcha, went absconding.

Superintendent of Police Dr Kaustubh said that police outpost in-charge Sadar Praveen Singh, constables Abid Ali, Akhilesh Yadav, Akhilesh Chaudhary and Priyanka Singh have been suspended for alleged negligence and mishandling the case.

He added that 14 policemen, including the SHO, have been sent to the police line for the same.

A case was lodged on September 5 against Rahi for the alleged rape of a 17-year-old Dalit girl and killing of her father. The accused was detained following the FIR.

However, he was allowed to go after the victim retracted the rape allegations in her statements before a magistrate on September 6.

The SP said that Rahi has been absconding since September 7 even though the case against him, which also includes a murder charge, is still under investigation.

He added that police have formed a team to arrest the accused and investigations into the matter are underway.

In her complaint to police, the girl alleged that the BJP leader raped her on August 28 and when her father, Raju, protested on seeing the incident, the accused thrashed him, grievously injuring him. The father of the girl subsequently died during treatment.

The complainant said that after her mother's death, she lived in Rahi's house as a tenant along with her father, three sisters and a younger brother.

Based on her complaint, an FIR under sections 376 (rape), 302 (murder), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC as well as under the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was registered against the BJP leader.