At Lovely Guest House at Kaimbwala village in Morni Hills on Friday. (Express photo/Jaipal Singh)
THE PANCHKULA police on Tuesday transferred ACP Mamta Sodha and SHO Rajesh Kumari from the women police station. While there was no word on Sodha’s next posting, Kumari was attached with the Haryana Police headquarters in Sector 6. Both the officers were shifted for their questionable role in the Morni gangrape case.
The SHO had been in the eye of storm after suspended ASI Saraswati alleged that “SHO Rajesh Kumari had told her to refer the matter of rape victim to Chandigarh Police for the investigation of rape allegations against 40 people”.
ASI Saraswati had submitted her representation before senior police officers and also attached screen shots of WhatsApp chat between her and Inspector Rajesh Kumari, who sent her the number of SHO of Manimajra police station for consulting the matter. Later, the screen shots of WhatsApp messages had gone viral on social networking sites.
Inspector Kumari is a member of the special investigation team (SIT) constituted for probing the rape allegations of Manimajra woman against 40 people. Sources said Inspector Kumari was likely to be shifted from the SIT as well. ACP Noopur Bishnoi has replaced ACP Mamta Sauda and Inspector Sunita was appointed new SHO of the women police station.
ASI Saraswati along with three others was suspended as the rape victim alleged that her complaint was not entertained by the Panchkula women police station when she had approached the police station on July 18. Later, the Chandigarh Police lodged a zero FIR of gangrape, arrested two accused — Sunny, owner of Lovely Guest House, and his accomplice Avtar — from near the guesthouse in Morni Hills. A zero FIR is lodged when the case falls within the jurisdiction of another police station.
DCP (Panchkula) Rajender Kumar Meena said, “ACP Mamta Sodha and Inspector Rajesh Kumari were transferred on administrative grounds. The allegations of ASI Saraswati are being verified. We have decided to increase the strength of women police station. Two male head constables were also posted in the women police station.”
After the rape victim alleged that she was raped by 40 people at Lovely Guest House in Morni Hills between July 15 and 18, four police personnel — Morni police post incharge, SI Mange Ram, area checking officer, constable Kuldeep Kumar, ASI Saraswati and incharge of Ramgarh police post, Jagdish Chander — were suspended.