The ‘indifferent attitude’ of the police in dealing with the incident of attempt to rape a 13-year-old girl by six youths at Bommanahalli of Aland taluk in Gulbarga district in January has come to light now.
“My conscience is disturbed. I have issued directions to punish the guilty police officials…I will bring the incident to the knowledge of Home Minister K.J. George,” said Minister for Women and Child Welfare Umashree, while visiting the girl at a government hospital in Gulbarga City on Sunday.
The girl suffered multiple fractures and severe head injury. With much difficulty, the girl narrated how six persons had entered the house, gagged and beat her with clubs and attempted to rape her. The parents, who were sleeping in another room, found the girl covered in blood the next morning.
When they approached the police station to file a complaint, the sub-inspector and other police personnel not only refused to register a case of rape but also tried to browbeat the victim’s family into accepting a gratification from the six youths.
Surprisingly, the police personnel in Nimbarga station did not send the girl for a medical check-up. It was left to the parents to shift the victim, who had slipped into coma, to a hospital. The parents alleged that the police continued to put pressure on them against filing a rape complaint. But, the parents decided to take up the issue with Superintendent of Police Amit Singh on Saturday. A case of rape was registered and five persons were arrested. The search for another accused is on.
