ASP arrested to weakening rape case against minor in Rajasthan

A special court in Rajasthan's Sikar district has held an Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) guilty of weakening a 2016 rape case of a 10-year-old girl, an official said Sunday. On Saturday, ASP, Neem Ka Thana, Dinesh Agarwal was found guilty by the POCSO court Judge Anil Kumar Kaushik for weakening the rape case by filing the final report, Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Shivratan Sharma said.

The judge directed senior police officials to register a case against the rape accused, Shivraj Singh, under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 354 (outraging modesty) and 376 (rape) and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (PCOSO) Act, he said He also directed the officials to book the ASP under IPC section 166A (public servant intentionally disobeying laws), Sharma added.

The minor was allegedly raped on April 12, 2016, and a case in this regard was lodged on March 1, 2017, on the basis of a complaint filed by her mother, he said. In her statement, the girl had alleged the accused of raping her and threatening her with dire consequences if she revealed the matter to anyone, according to the APP.

The court found that the police investigation was deliberately done in a manner to weaken the case in favour of the accused, Sharma said.