Noida: Sector-126 SHO removed from post over sexual assault charges

To ensure a fair investigation, the SHO of Sector 126, Bhupendra Singh, has been sent to police lines

Noida: The station house officer (SHO) of Sector 126 police station has been removed from his post and sent to the police lines, two days after the Supreme Court took cognisance of a petition filed by an advocate alleging sexual assault, torture and threats while performing professional duties in Noida on December 3.

According to the petition, the woman advocate was assisting her client, who had suffered serious head injuries in an alleged assault on December 3, when she visited Sector 126 police station to press for registration of an FIR. (Sunil Ghosh/HT )

“To ensure a fair investigation, the SHO of Sector 126, Bhupendra Singh, has been sent to police lines. An internal investigation, headed by the deputy commissioner of police, Noida, is also underway in the case,” said Rajeev Narain Mishra, additional commissioner of police (ACP), Gautam Budh Nagar.

The deadline of the internal investigation’s report is not finalised yet as it also requires to incorporate the victim’s statements.

According to the petition, the woman advocate was assisting her client, who had suffered serious head injuries in an alleged assault on December 3, when she visited Sector 126 police station to press for registration of an FIR. She was in her advocate’s robes and carrying her identification card.

The plea alleges that police officers refused to register the FIR, and sealed the police station just when she tried to call the emergency response service. It claims that officers proceeded to assault her client and that she was illegally detained for around one-and-a-half hours the following day without an arrest memo or written grounds.

During this period, male police personnel allegedly tore her advocate’s coat, conducted a body search, threatened her with a firearm and subjected her to sexualised abuse. Her phone was seized, videos were deleted, and CCTV cameras were allegedly disabled or removed, the plea said.

On Friday, an apex court bench comprising justices Vikram Nath and NV Anjaria issued notices to the Union government, the Uttar Pradesh government and the Uttar Pradesh Police on the plea, and ordered the Commissioner of Police, Gautam Budh Nagar, to ensure that the CCTV footage for the relevant period at Sector 126 police station is not deleted and is kept in sealed cover.

“Normally, we would not have entertained this case. However, considering the serious allegations made in the petition and the fact that the issue also relates to locking of CCTV cameras, and as this bench is monitoring the functioning of CCTV cameras, we are entertaining this petition,” said the court, listing the matter for hearing on January 7, 2026.

Noida police said the original dispute of her client related to two people over a parking issue on December 3. Next day, the two disputing sides had reached a written compromise.