Nearly three days after an 18-year-old gang-rape victim in Patiala committed suicide, the Punjab police on Saturday arrested an officer for showing apathy in handling the case.
Nasib Singh, assistant sub-inspector, was already suspended on Thursday. He was booked for abetment the following day after the victim mentioned police harassment in her suicide note.
"The ASI Nasib Singh, who was dismissed from service on Thursday and was on Friday booked for abetment to suicide of the gangrape victim, has been arrested," PTI quoted IG Patiala Zone PS Gill as saying on Saturday.
The 18-year-old girl was allegedly sedated and gang-raped by three men on Nov 13 in Patiala. The victim reported the incident to the local police station. Station House Officer Gurcharan Singh filed an FIR against the accused two weeks later on Nov 27 under section 363 (punishment for kidnapping), 376 (make out an offence of rape) and 34 of IPC.
On Wednesday night, the girl reportedly consumed poison after police humiliated her by repeatedly asking her uncomfortable questions regarding the heinous crime.
"On some occasions, the policemen would take her to the police station in late evening hours. They would seek her to narrate the incident. They also tried to force her to withdraw her complaint. The policemen finally registered the FIR for rape on November 27 when she did not buzz," Daily Mail quoted her elder sister Gulshan Kaur as saying.
In her suicide letter, the victim named the accused and also said that the rapists threatened her and her family.
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal ordered the dismissal Gurcharan and Nasib on Thursday. After the girl's death, police arrested two men and a woman in the rape case.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Friday formed a high-level team headed by Additional Director General of Police (Crime) Jaswinder Singh to investigate the matter, PTI reported.
