Investigating officer summoned for 'tardy' probe into rape of minor girl

Upset with the "tardy" probe into the rape and illegal abortion of a minor girl trafficked from Assam 10 years ago at the age of five, the Rajasthan High Court Tuesday summoned the investigating officer of the case.

A Jodhpur bench of the high court ordered the investigating officer of the Pandva police station in Churu district to appear before it on October 25, the next date of hearing of the plea complaining of a slow probe into the case.

Justice P S Bhati summoned the police officers on a plea filed last week by one Jai Chand, a social activist of Sandva village in the district, where the girl had allegedly been held captive since her trafficking.

Petitioner's counsel Rajak Haider told the court that the girl had been brought to Sandva village from Lakhimpur in Assam over ten years ago at the age of five by a human trafficking agent and handed over to one Rakesh Kumar of the village.

Rakesh had been raping and tormenting the girl with the assistance of his wife, the counsel told the court, adding that after the girl got pregnant recently, they got her aborted with the help of a quack.

The girl later managed to reach police with the help of some villagers and lodged a complaint about her ordeal a month ago on September 9, the council said.

"Though the mukhiya of the village tried to hush up the matter by discouraging the girl by imposed a penalty of Rs 1 lakh on Rakesh and the quack, the villagers compelled police to take action in the matter," he said.

Advocate Haider told the court that though the police arrested Rakesh, they made no other arrests despite the involvement of other persons, including the mukhiya.

Taking a serious note of the role of police, Justice Bhati summoned the investigating officer and ordered the girl to be kept in a state shelter for children till the case is disposed of.

(With inputs from agencies.)