E-Paper
Minor girl alleges she was lodged at Chandigarh jail, police start probe
Was nabbed with her family after they came to blows with their neighbours, whose son passed lewd comments at her in October.
Police department have initiated a probe into the complaint of a 17-year-old, who alleged that she spent two days in Burail Jail despite being a minor.
The teenager, along with her parents held a press conference at the Chandigarh Press Club on Monday, alleging that her neighbour had been harassing her.
She said on October 30, she was returning from her father’s shop when her neighbour passed lewd comments at her, after which both the families came to blows.
Taking preventive action, police had registered a case against both the families and sent the girl and her family to jail. However, her neighbour and his parents were Covid-19 positive and were arrested after their quarantine period was over.
“My family and I kept telling SHO Amanjot Singh at the Maloya police station that my neighbour had been harassing me for long and he again passed lewd comments at me. But ignoring this, they detained us and we were sent to Burail Jail even when I had told them that I was a minor,” the girl alleged.
She showed her documents at the press conference that depicted that she will turn 18 in April next year.
After coming out on bail, she lodged a complaint with the Chandigarh SSP’s office.
Inspector Amanjot Singh, who is SHO, Sector-39 police station, was handling the additional charge of Maloya police station in October, while the SHO concerned was on leave.
“We are looking into the girl’s complaint. The investigation so far has pointed out that her father had mentioned at the police station that she is 18 years old, and even at the time of medical examination as well as before the jail staff, the girl herself had mentioned that she was 18,” said assistant superintendent of police (ASP, South) Shruti Arora.
“The inquiry is on, but so far there is no evidence against the SHO concerned. Whoever is found at fault will face action. There are CCTV cameras installed at the police station as well as at her neighbour’s house and these will be scanned,” Arora added.
