Sex for arrest: Cop seeks favour from rape survivor

RAMPUR: Every country has its protectors but what if these protectors become harassers. Recent incidents surfacing in the country where these protectors have turned into predators comes as a shock.

Recently an investigation officer(IO) has shamed the department by asking a rape victim for sex in exchange for arresting her rapists.

The incident came to light when a 37-yr-old woman rape victim approached the Investigation officer(IO) at Rampur’s Ganj police station for help, asking him to take action against her rapists. The victim was shocked with the officer’s reply when he asked her for sex before he takes any action against the culprits.

The woman on refusing the officer’s offer, Jai Prakash Singh SI filed a closure report of her case. The women returned to the investigation officer but this time planned to record the whole conversation between them. She later approached the SP on Wednesday with the evidence against the Investigation officer. The SP has ordered an inquiry against the IO.

Sudha Singh, Additional Superintendent of Police told Times of India “Ganj station officer has been asked to investigate the matter against the SI and submit a report.”

According to the Police, the woman was raped on the night of 12 February by two men, of whom one was a known person to her. She was offered lift by these two men when she was returning to Rampur city after visiting her relative. She was raped at gunpoint after these two men found she was alone at her home.

At first, the Police refused to lodge a FIR against the culprits. She had to move to a lower court for the same and a week later the Police registered her case.

The two culprits, one 55-year-old Ameer Ahmad and another man aged 45-year-old Sattar Ahmad, were booked on 21 February under IPC’s sections 376 (D) (gangrape), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation). The woman on filing the case recorded her statement before the Magistrate.

“My ordeal began soon afterwards. Whenever I approached SI Jai Prakash Singh seeking arrest of the accused, he would say he first wanted to have sex with me. He even called up on my mobile phone and invited me to visit him in his room alone. When I turned him down, he filed a closure report in the case a fortnight ago” said the victim to Times of India.

She added, “He would ask about the rape sequence time and again, posing objectionable questions on the details. Then he told me, ‘Tum pahley meri hasrat puri karo, tab mulzim pakday jayenge’ (First you fulfill my desire, I will then arrest the accused).”

Helpless and waiting for justice to be served to those culprits, the woman recorded the conversation between her and IO and submitted the recorded CD to the SP.

Vipin Tada SP Rampur said, “Prima facie, the voice in the audio clip doesn’t match with that of the SI. But will investigate her charges thoroughly”, Times of India reported.