Rape of minor, abortion: Two Tamil Nadu cops transferred for cover-up

KALLAKURICHI: But for a complaint from an alert village administrative officer (VAO), a string of grave offences — a 71-year-old man raping and impregnating his minor granddaughter, a midwife performing an illegal abortion on the child, and two women cops helping the offenders by not registering an FIR — would have all gone unreported.
Now, following the complaint, the old man in Thirukkovilur in Kallakurichi and the midwife have been arrested, while the two women cops attached to the Thirukkovilur all-woman police station – head constable Geetharani and police constable Kokila – who received Rs 23,500 as bribe to not include a nursing officer in the FIR, have been placed under suspension.
The man’s granddaughter and grandson were staying with him after his daughter died a few years ago. His sonin-law married another woman and settled in Bengaluru.
Police said the old man had been sexually abusing his granddaughter for the past three years. The minor girl became pregnant, and the man with the help of two women, aborted the foetus. The issue came to light when a section of villagers alerted the VAO, who lodged a complaint against the man and two others with the Thirukoilur all-women police.
“We received complaints that two women cops attempted to save a retired government nursing officer by not booking her on charges of performing an abortion on the girl. The constables are placed under suspension pending inquiry,” said deputy superintendent of police S Gangadharan.
Police also arrested a midwife, the old man’s neighbour, for the abortion. The police station inspector M Elavazhagi was transferred to the armed reserve police force but was recalled after preliminary inquiries.
The police booked the three for offences punishable under Sections 6 (punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault), 5 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault), 5 (j) (penetrative sexual assault on a child), 5 (j) (ii) (making child pregnant as a consequence of sexual assault) and 17 (punishment for abetment) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, 2012. The man and the midwife were remanded in judicial custody while the retired nursing officer, who aborted the foetus of the minor girl, did not pass the health test to be remanded in judicial custody. It was her relatives who contacted the two women cops and offered them bridge to exclude her from the FIR.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)