SHO, who paid hush money, faces departmental probe
The Delhi police have initiated a departmental inquiry against the suspended station house officer (SHO) of the Gandhi Nagar police station after a vigilance probe confirmed that he paid "hush money" to the family of a minor rape victim.
The Delhi police have initiated a departmental inquiry against the suspended station house officer (SHO) of the Gandhi Nagar police station after a vigilance probe confirmed that he paid ‘’hush money’’ to the family of a minor rape victim.
The probe confirmed allegations against the SHO that he paid R2,000 to the family of a five-year-old girl, who was brutalised by her neighbour, to hush up the matter.
A similar inquiry has been ordered against sub-inspector Mahavir Singh, the first investigating officer (IO) of the case for alleged lapses in investigation. Sources said SHO Dharampal Singh and the IO were also found prima facie guilty of dereliction of duty.
The vigilance department’s report was handed over to Delhi police commissioner Neeraj Kumar on Saturday. The action against the SHO and IO will be decided after the inquiry, which is being conducted by a DCP-rank officer.
The officer has been directed to submit his report within a month, said a source. According to vigilance report, on April 17 while the victim was undergoing treatment at east Delhi’s Swami Dayanand hospital, SHO Dharampal Singh had given Rs 2,000 to the victim’s father.
He was accompanied by a constable, the report said.The report also pointed out the lapses in investigation which led to the girl being kept locked inside a room in the same building where she was brutalised. The vigilance inquiry was ordered on April 19, two days after the incident came to light.