Ludhiana police chief forms SIT to probe Mundian rape case
Woman arrested, three accused still at large; bribery charges also under investigation
Three days after head constable Rakesh Kumar, 45, was booked in connection with the rape case of a 24-year-old woman at the Mundian police post, Ludhiana police commissioner Rakesh Agrawal on Wednesday formed a special investigation team (SIT) to further probe the matter.
Agrawal said, “We have formed an SIT, which will be headed by Zone-4 ADCP Rupinder Kaur, to investigate the Mundian Kalan rape case. The team comprises ACP Simranjeet Singh, Jamalpur SHO Kulwant Singh, and a woman officer, Kulwant Kaur.”
The Jamalpur Police, meanwhile, nabbed one of the women accused in the case, who has been identified as Mamta.
On Tuesday, the police had also arrested head constable Rakesh Kumar.
Raids are on to catch the remaining three accused, two women and a man, with whom the victim was reportedly having a dispute.
The victim was assaulted and molested, her clothes were torn and the entire act was filmed. She was later picked up by Rakesh Kumar, who allegedly raped her at the Mundian police station on the intervening night of December 6 and 7.
Victim undergoes medical examination
Jamalpur station house officer (SHO) Kulwant Singh said medical examination of the woman was conducted on Wednesday at the civil hospital. He said the victim’s statement, however, was not recorded in the court.
‘Ensure police stations have woman cops in night’
Police chief Rakesh Agrawal has also issued directions to ensure that all police stations in the city have woman cops on night duty.
The police have initiated a probe into the bribe allegations levelled by the victim as well. She claimed that the accused head constable had accepted money from Mamta, Pammi and their accomplices for raping her.
The police have also begun maintaining an action-taken report that would be submitted to Punjab State Women Commission (PSWC) chairperson Manisha Gulati. She had asked why there was a need to keep the victim at the police post overnight and sought details of the conditions surrounding her detainment.
The case
On the intervening night of December 6 and 7, the 24-year-old woman was allegedly raped by a head constable at the Mundian police post.
The victim claimed that she did not lodge any complaint as the cop had threatened to implicate her husband in a false case.
However, she later approached the police commissioner on December 17. Following a preliminary probe, an FIR was registered on January 3, while head constable Rakesh Kumar was arrested on Tuesday. Mundian police post in-charge ASI Sukhwinder Singh has also been suspended.
