The Karbi Anglong District Mahila Congress Committee on Thursday accused the BJP-led state government of protecting superintendent of police Gaurav Upadhyay, who has been accused of sexually assaulting a teenager, a day after he was transferred to Assam police headquarters in Guwahati.

“It has come to our knowledge that some BJP leaders are protecting him. We request the government to terminate his service,” the committee’s president, Kasang Terangpi, told reporters at Diphu in Karbi Anglong. She said they would protest till the tainted IPS officer is put behind bars. The committee had earlier staged a dharna at Semson Sing Ingti Memorial Park in Diphu, demanding action.

Upadhyay, an Assam cadre IPS officer of the 2012 batch who took over as Karbi Anglong superintendent of police on January 22, 2019, allegedly sexually harassed the teenager in an inebriated condition inside his official bungalow during a New Year party in Diphu.

The girl and her mother, who is a senior Assam Police Service (APS) officer, had lodged a complaint at the all-women police station at Panbazar in Guwahati on January 3. A case (No. 5/2020) was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, 2012.

The All Party Hills Leaders Conference has demanded exemplary punishment for Upadhyay. It said he should be immediately placed under suspension and an inquiry should be conducted against him. It has submitted a memorandum to chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and the Karbi Anglong deputy commissioner for taking immediate legal action against Upadhyay.

Upadhyay, has been replaced by Sadiya superintendent of police Debojit Deuri.