A Jammu and Kashmir Police officer, Inspector Aijaz, has been arrested for allegedly attempting rape on a 13-year-old girl and the First Information Report [FIR] has been registered against him after the residents of Kokernag staged a protest in the South Kashmir district of Anantnag on Wednesday.
Residents of Deesu, a village 18 km ahead of Kokernag, on Anantnag-Daksum Road, told The Hindu by telephone that one of their fellow villagers saw Inspector Aijaz on the road on Tuesday evening and invited him home for a cup of tea.
The Inspector’s host asked his 13-year-old daughter, a 7 th Standard student, to serve tea to the guest and went to a nearby shop to fetch some groceries. Suddenly, neighbours heard some screaming. As they rushed upstairs, they found Mr. Aijaz attempting to sexually assault the girl. Her clothes, according to the complainants, had been torn off. Mr. Aijaz was captured, roughed up by the residents and handed over to Police with the request that he may be booked for attempted rape.
A resident of Anantnag, Mr. Aijaz was currently posted in District Police Lines in Kulgam and had reportedly proceeded to training. However, Superintendent of Police Kulgam Mumtaz Ahmad reported him as ‘absent from duty’.
On Wednesday morning, residents took out a procession, demanding the police officer’s dismissal from service and a copy of the FIR registered against him. They turned violent and began pelting stones at the police for “inaction”.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, South Kashmir, Vijay Kumar confirmed the official’s arrest. “We have arrested the accused in drunken condition and detained him at Kokernag Police Station. He is being booked for attempted rape. I have directed SHO to register FIR as per the victim’s statement. We may also seek her medical examination, if need be”, the DIG told The Hindu . He said that a clash was going on as the demonstrators were pelting stones at the police.
