A local YouTuber has been arrested in the abduction and gang rape of a 14-year-old girl in Kanpur's Sachendi area, while a sub-inspector remains at large. Police have suspended and removed senior officials amid allegations of a cover-up. The case has sparked political outrage as investigations intensify.
In Kanpur's Sachendi area, a 14-year-old class 7 dropout was abducted in a Mahindra Scorpio around 10 p.m. on Monday. She was taken to a deserted spot near a railway track, where she endured sexual assault for nearly two hours before being abandoned unconscious outside her home.
An FIR named sub-inspector Amit Kumar Maurya and YouTuber Shivbaran Yadav based on the victim's statement. Yadav has been arrested, while four teams are pursuing the absconding Maurya. The crime's SUV, owned by Maurya, has been seized. Probes revealed Maurya was in Sachendi during the incident, despite his posting at Bithoor police station.
The victim's family accused local police of a cover-up, claiming they were initially dismissed when mentioning a policeman's involvement. Officers seized the girl's mobile phone and barred her from returning home until her court statement was recorded.
Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal removed Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Dinesh Chandra Tripathi and suspended Sachendi Station House Officer Vikram Singh for lapses, including failing to invoke the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act initially and distorting facts in records. Deenanath Mishra now heads Sachendi station, and the probe is with Additional DCP (West) Kapil Dev Singh.
"Based on the victim's statement, Sub-Inspector Amit Kumar Maurya and YouTuber Shivbaran Yadav have been named in the FIR. Yadav has been arrested, while four teams have been formed to nab the absconding SI," Lal told reporters. He added, "The investigation is being conducted with complete transparency, and strict action will be taken against all guilty parties."
Former CPI(M) MP Subhashini Ali met the commissioner to denounce the "widespread impunity" in crimes against women in the state.