Madhubani court blasts SP, says needs fresh training in laws

In scathing observations in a case relating to a minor’s rape, a Madhubani court Thursday said the district’s superintendent of police (SP) Dr Satya Prakash should be sent to Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel National Police Academy, Hyderabad, to learn more on matters relating to offences against minor girls

In scathing observations in a case relating to a minor’s rape, a Madhubani court Thursday said the district’s superintendent of police (SP) Dr Satya Prakash should be sent to Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel National Police Academy, Hyderabad, to learn more on matters relating to offences against minor girls.

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The indictment came from Avinash Kumar, additional sessions judge, Jhanjharpur, in a case where a minor girl was allegedly raped but the accused was charged only with kidnapping. Also, the victim was shown to be major against the opinion of a medical board which held her to be 15 years old when she was kidnapped.

The court of Avinash Kumar also issued a show cause notice to additional chief judicial magistrate, Jhanjharpur, asking how it concluded that the girl was a major. The magistrate has been asked to reply on July 19.

The court was hearing a bail plea by the accused, Balbir Sadai, who has been in custody since February 25 this year.

The girl’s mother, in her FIR, had alleged that on January 6 this year, Sadai kidnapped her minor daughter (15 years) with the purpose of marriage.

Subsequently, a charge sheet was filed by the police in which Sadai was charged with kidnapping. The Madhubani SP, in his supervision report, had cleared the charge sheet.

Rejecting bail for the accused, the court observed that the SP did not have basic knowledge of laws relating to offences against minors and sought to know why charges of rape and laws related to Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2016, were not applied in the case.

The court also issued show cause notices to subdivisional police officer (Jhanjharpur) and station house officer of Bhairav Asthan police station.

“The SP should be sent for special training at the IPS training academy to relate to offences against the minor girl,” the court said.

The judge also asked state police chief and home minister, government of India, to look into the matter and conduct an inquiry in this regard.