Pilibhit (UP), Jun 17 (PTI): Authorities in Pilibhit district on Wednesday demolished the house of the 66-year-old man who was arrested for allegedly holding a nine-year-old girl captive and raping her for two days.
The officials said the accused’s house was illegally constructed on government land, and hence, it was demolished using a bulldozer in the evening.
Earlier, when the rape of the minor girl came to light, the incident sparked outrage among a local Hindu outfit, which demanded an encounter of the accused, Mohammad Umar. Senior police officers, however, intervened and pacified them by assuring strict action in the matter.
Before the demolition of the house, UP minister Sanjay Singh Gangwar had said the accused would certainly face “bulldozer action”.
He also said that if such deeds were repeated, such stringent legal action would be taken that “these people would be seen in Pakistan.” Superintendent of Police (SP) Sukirti Madhav Mishra said the accused has been booked under the relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Police said an objectionable video related to the crime has also been seized from the accused.
“The survivor is undergoing a medical examination. We will soon submit a chargesheet and ensure a fast-track trial to secure the strictest possible punishment for the accused,” the officer said.
Police said the Class 4 student had gone missing on June 14.
Police rescued her on Tuesday (June 16) from the house of the accused, a widower.
The girl’s family said she is the youngest of four siblings, having two older brothers and a sister. Her father works at a local market shop.
“The accused was unemployed. His wife passed away due to an illness several years ago, while one of his sons died just a month ago. His other son works in the city, while his daughter is married,” police said.
Police said members of Hanuman Dal, a local Hindu outfit, surrounded the area after the girl revealed her ordeal to her family and demanded immediate capital punishment or an encounter.
On Wednesday evening, the accused’s illegally constructed house was demolished using a bulldozer.
District Magistrate (DM) Gyanendra Singh told PTI that the demolition drive was carried out in accordance with the government’s stated policy.
The DM also said that the administration extended assistance to the victim’s family due to their poor financial condition and adopted the victim.
The administration would also seek substantial financial assistance for the girl from the chief minister, Singh added.
A team of revenue and administrative officials reached the village of the accused in the evening and began the demolition process amid heavy police deployment.
Earlier, condemning the incident, Gangwar warned that the accused’s house would “certainly face bulldozer action” and that such an example would be set that “his next seven generations would remember it”.
Targeting Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Gangwar urged him to restrain his party workers and educate them so that no one would dare commit such an act in the future.
Samajwadi Party district president Jagdev Singh termed the incident highly condemnable, heart-rending and a blot on society. He expressed deep sympathy for the victim’s family and said no words were sufficient to denounce such a heinous crime.
He demanded that the accused be tried in a fast-track court and get the harshest punishment under the law. Criminals have no religion, caste or community, he said, adding that they should be identified only by their crimes.
Responding to Gangwar’s remarks, Jagdev said no one should attempt to derive political mileage from such sensitive incidents.
“Holding an entire religion, caste or community responsible for an individual’s crime is not only wrong but also harmful to social harmony and brotherhood. A criminal is identified by their crime, not by their religion or caste,” Singh said. PTI COR ABN AMJ AMJ
(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)
