Uttar Pradesh police officer sets age for rape

In a brazen display of insensitivity, a senior police officer in Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh allegedly turned away a rape victim, chiding the woman for her age.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Keshav Chand Goswami allegedly told the woman in her mid-thirties that no one would like to rape a “purani aurat (old woman)” like her. “Itni purani aurat ko kaun balatkar karega (who will rape such an old woman),” Goswami allegedly retorted when the victim’s relatives approached him to register an FIR against the culprit.

“The ASP first asked about her age, her children and the age of the eldest child. After being told that she was 35 and mother of four, he asked us to go away saying that no one would rape her,” claimed members of her family. They had approached Goswami on Thursday after the local police station did not entertain them.

The woman was allegedly raped by a youth on Wednesday night. The culprit dragged her to the fields and raped her. Though the woman screamed for help, her wails were buried under the noise of a function held nearby.

Meanwhile, senior police officers here have apologised for the remark and demanded an explanation from the ASP within two days. Besides, officials concerned have been asked to register the woman’s complaint.   The incident comes close on the heels of a police inspector allegedly slapping a woman, who had approached him for registering a complaint of assault, for coming to the police station after dark.

Instead of registering the complaint, station in-charge R D Yadav allegedly slapped and reprimanded her for coming to the station alone. Only indecent women did so, he said. “I had only tried to teach her a lesson. Now she will never go to a police station alone after dark,” Yadav said. UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had recently said in the state assembly that action will be taken against policemen who do not take complainants seriously.