Moving swiftly, the Chandigarh police on Friday dismissed from service all five policemen booked for raping a 17-year-old schoolgirl for more than a month.
The incident sparked anger in the city and protests broke out at several places, continuing till evening. Throughout the day, protests took place in the Sector 17 plaza. In the evening, students of Panjab University took out a protest march on the campus demanding strict action against the accused.
While four policemen, Akshay, Sunil, Jagtar and Himmat Singh were arrested on Thursday after the girl’s family lodged a complaint, the fifth, Anil, was nabbed on Friday.
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All five have been remanded to police custody for three days.
The girl said in her complaint that she had come in contact with Akshay a few weeks ago, when her father got into a dispute with his neighbour and the police was called for help, Senior Superintendent of Police Sukhchain Singh Gill, told The Hindu. After that, Akshay and the other accused began stalking her in the PCR (police control room) van and made sexual advances. Akshay also hired a room and he, along with the others, forced her into it and raped her at gunpoint.
The matter came to light when the girl tried to commit suicide in a fit of depression since the constables had begun accosting her on her way to school and elsewhere. She was being constantly harassed and stalked. A cousin approached a city councillor and, with his help, summoned the courage to go to the police.
Initially, an FIR was registered against only one of the accused but after some BJP workers of the municipal corporation raised a hue and cry, the names of the others were included.