UP senior cop asks rape victim: Who will rape a mother of four?

DEORIA (UP): The insensitivity of the Uttar Pradesh Police on Friday came to the fore, as a senior police officer was caught on camera humiliating a 35-year-old Dalit woman, who had approached him for lodging a rape case, saying "who would rape an elderly woman who is a mother of four".

Deoria additional superintendent of police Keshav Chandra Goswami was caught on camera insulting the woman on Thursday night, after she approached him seeking his intervention as a local police station had refused to register a case of rape, which took place on Wednesday.

"Why would anyone rape such an elderly woman?" Goswami was heard saying when the woman and her husband met him as her complaint was not registered by Bankata police in the district.

The ASP questioned the woman about her eldest son's age and when he was told that it was 17 years, the officer said: "Her oldest child is 17, why would anyone rape such an elderly woman?"

According to sources, the woman was allegedly raped by one Santosh Kumar of neighbouring village on Wednesday night.

When the woman and her husband went to the Bankata police station on Thursday for lodging an FIR, the police station in-charge registered a case of eve-teasing.

Dissatisfied with the Bankata police, the couple came to the ASP on Thursday night to seek his intervention.

Meanwhile, the ASP, when contacted, said that in her complaint the woman had levelled charge of eve-teasing but she gave a second complaint in which she mentioned rape.

The ASP said that medical examination of the woman has not confirmed rape.

Meanwhile, the director general of UP Police, AC Sharma has offered an apology and has assured that strict action will be taken against the ASP.

IG (law and order) R K Vishkarma said in Lucknow that the DGP has sought an explanation from the ASP.

"The DGP also expressed regret over the hurt caused to the woman because of the insulting remarks," the IG said adding that the case of the woman has been registered.

The IG said that the new officers being recruited in the police force would also be sensitised and given training in proper behaviour so that such things are not repeated.

Woman organisations of the district have condemned the police officer and demanded action against him for his "insensitivity and insulting remarks".