Bareilly police station ransacked over ‘inaction’ in teen’s ‘abduction’

A Mob barged into a police station in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly and allegedly ransacked the office and damaged property on Tuesday while protesting “inaction” in the alleged abduction of a 17-year-old Hindu girl by a youth from another community.

Local BJP leaders claimed that although they were present at the police station at the time, those who created ruckus were “outsiders and not party workers”.

Police said the protesters damaged furniture and also tore up official documents. The situation was brought under control after the police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the crowd. BJP leaders, along with party workers, then staged a protest after which Bareilly SSP Rohit Singh Sajwan suspended three policemen, including a sub-inspector. The SSP also removed the SHO from his charge.

On Wednesday, the police registered an FIR against five named and 200 unidentified persons on several charges, including assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty at the police station. No arrests have been made yet and a search is on for the suspects, police said. The girl is also yet to be traced, they added.

According to the police, around 3 pm on Tuesday, a group of people led by the BJP’s Bareilly city unit president K M Arora reached the police station along with the family members of the girl, who is allegedly missing since October 17. The girl’s family had filed an FIR against a local resident and his family on charges of abduction.

Arora claimed that he was talking with the SHO and Circle Officer of the area in a room at the police station when he heard a commotion outside. “The girl’s neighbours were behind the ruckus and soon fled. Without making any efforts to know the truth, the police started lathicharging people present there,” said Arora.

Meanwhile, police claimed that a video of the girl had surfaced on social media recently in which she is purportedly seen claiming that she was above 18 years of age and requesting “not to create trouble”.

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