Seraikela (Jharkhand) [India], November 2 (ANI): Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Manoj Pandey on Monday said that no one involved in the alleged rape of a woman inside the premises of Gamharia police station would be spared, asserting that strict and swift action had been taken against the police personnel accused in the case.
Reacting to the incident, Pandey said that the government would ensure decisive action against those responsible and that the suspension and arrest of police personnel demonstrated that wrongdoing would not be tolerated.
“This is the land of Jharkhand; here, action is taken- action that is swift and decisive enough to ensure criminals would not dare to commit a crime again… If you do something wrong, we will not spare you… Action was taken against police personnel swiftly; they were suspended and arrested,” he told ANI.
Meanwhile, the Seraikela-Kharsawan Superintendent of Police (SP) has suspended 15 police personnel in connection with the case.
According to the police, Neeraj Lakra, a wireless operator posted at Gamharia police station, was arrested during the investigation and remanded to judicial custody.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Seraikela, conducted further investigation. Subsequently, Sub-Inspector Manoj Kumar Sahu and Constable Santosh Kumar Rai, both posted at Gamharia police station, were also arrested and are being sent to judicial custody. The investigation into other aspects of the case is ongoing.
Seraikela-Kharsawan SP Manoj Swargiary, who visited the area on Monday, told ANI, “We came to gather information regarding the incident of Gamharia and the findings from the investigation…”
SDPO Seraikela Anubhav Bhardwaj said that the woman had lodged a written complaint on October 31, alleging that she was raped within the police station premises.
“On October 31, a woman filed a written complaint alleging that she was raped within the police station premises. Acting promptly on the instructions, a team was constituted; the accused were apprehended and have since been remanded to judicial custody. All necessary legal procedures have been followed step-by-step. Furthermore, the investigation into this matter is ongoing, and anyone found guilty will face further legal action,” Bhardwaj told ANI.
He further stated that four of the accused had been suspended and that the allegations had been levelled against a wireless operator.
Meanwhile, Central Vice President of the ST Morcha (JLKM) Prem Mardi termed the incident extremely serious and said that his organisation had staged a protest over the matter on Sunday. He said that members had returned to the police station premises on Monday to assist in the collection of evidence concerning the victim.
“We stand firmly with the victim and are committed to supporting her in every possible way to ensure she receives justice,” Mardi said.
Questioning the police administration, he raised concerns over CCTV coverage at the police station and the absence of female police personnel.
“My question is directed straight to the Government of Jharkhand: the DGP here is a woman herself—yet, with a woman at the helm of the police force, how can such abuse against a woman occur inside a police station? Furthermore, it seems that CCTV coverage is either inadequate or non-existent. The absence of female police personnel points to a complete collapse of the police administration in Jharkhand; women simply do not feel safe here,” he added.
The investigation into the alleged incident remains underway. (ANI)
Related reading
