The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights has written to the Bengal chief election officer, seeking immediate steps against a central armed police force jawan accused of molesting a minor girl in Hooghly district on April 5 night, a day before he served on election duty in potential violation of the law.
Sources said a 15-year-old girl had allegedly been dragged into a school and molested by the jawan who was posted there for election duty.
The sources said the chairperson of the WBCPCR, Ananya Chakraborti, had visited the home of the girl on Wednesday after being informed of the incident.
Police did not arrest the accused jawan and allowed him to leave despite the commission’s directive to the law enforcers not to do so.
In its letter to the Election Commission, the child rights panel accused the police of not starting the case under the Pocso (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act. The letter claimed it was a threat to other women that the jawan was allowed to leave for duty.
“If the victim is a minor, it is mandatory to start a case under Pocso Act and the accused should be arrested immediately. I personally met the victim who told me that she had ghastly been molested by the jawan who even offered money to her. We are surprised that police can treat such a serious case so lightly,” said Chakraborti who added another letter had been sent to the police seeking the reason for not starting the case.
Amandeep, the superintendent of police of Hooghly rural district, however claimed the allegation was that the CAPF jawan had tried to molest the girl and the probe was going on according to norms.
“The process of identification is over and the girl’s statement has been recorded. Today (Thursday), she was sent to court to record her statement in front of a judicial magistrate.”
Asked why the jawan had not been arrested, the SP said: “The complaint was that the jawan tried to molest the girl.”
Chakraborti, however, said: “It is horrible if the SP speaks like that. I met the girl who told me how a gruesome assault was carried out on her. She was complaining of illness too.”
