The Central Bureau of Investigation has come up with a list of police lapses in its chargesheet in the alleged gang-rape and murder of a 19-year-old in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras on September 14, NDTV reported.
In its report, the agency mentioned lapses on at least four counts, starting with the police not writing down the woman's oral statement. The police also twice ignored her allegation of sexual assault. That’s not all, the police did not conduct any medical examination, which led to the loss of forensic evidence.
In the chargesheet, the agency said the role of erring UP Police officials is being investigated.
The Dalit girl died at a Delhi hospital days after the alleged assault by four so-called upper caste men in September.
The UP police also cremated the victim’s body at 2 am keeping her family locked up. The post-mortem report, however, gave a clean chit to the men, saying there was no evidence of sexual assault, though it mentioned tears in her private parts. The initial report said that the woman suffered multiple fractures, paralysis, severe spinal injury and a deep gash in her tongue.
Thereafter, the main accused claimed that he and the others were being framed in the case and it was the woman's family that was torturing her for her relationship with him.
"The victim on 14.9.2020 at PS Chandpa uttered the word 'zabardasti' (use of force) but it was neglected," the chargesheet said. No medical examination was made or rape laws applied.
"Again on 19.9.2020 the girl expressed in her statement to the police the word Chedkhani (molestation)... that time only Section 354 added but again neither police requested/referred for medical examination in light of sexual assault," the chargesheet read.
"Only on 22.9.2020, after victim explicitly stated the word 'balathkhar (rape)' against the four accused, the sexual assault examination was carried out by the medical authorities," the chargesheet read.
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