A sub-inspector from Vadodara’s Manjalpur is under investigation for allegedly taking Rs 1.55 lakh from a rape victim on the pretext of flying to Kolkata to “track down the accused”.
The police officer — who is investigating a rape case — had allegedly made the victim pay for his round-trip flight tickets from Kolkata for arresting the accused.
In May, the woman filed a complaint at the Manjalpur police station, alleging that her partner had raped her with a false promise of marriage as well as molested her daughters.
Following this, the sub-inspector demanded Rs 1.55 lakh from the woman (through her advocate) on the pretext of flying to Kolkata to “trace and arrest the accused”. The woman paid the accused police officer the amount in two instalments — Rs 75,000 and Rs 80,000 — online, she alleged in her complaint against the police officer.
In the police comlaint, the woman stated that she had paid the amount to the sub-inspector to ensure that action be taken against the perpetrator at the earliest, however, “the accused was arrested and released on bail within a period of nine days, despite facing an FIR under Indian Penal Code sections for rape and unnatural sex”.
According to the woman’s complaint to Police Commissioner Narasimha Komar, she alleged that the sub-inspector, however, did not add relevant sections related to sexual harassment against the accused for allegedly molesting her two daughters. So, she filed a complaint against the sub-inspector later.
Leena Patil, deputy commissioner of police (Vadodara zone 3), told The Indian Express that an investigation has been initiated against the sub-inspector — on the directions of Komar. “We have initiated an inquiry against the sub-inspector, Manjalpur police station, following the woman’s complaint…,” Patil said.
Police said that further investigation is underway, and whether the sub-inspector sought permission from his superiors to fly to Kolkata in a bid to nab the accused would also be ascertained.