In a horrific development that has shocked Madhya Pradesh, a policeman is accused of raping a 17-year-old Dalit girl in Bhopal. He allegedly lured the minor on the pretext of inviting her to his son's birthday party, while his colleague kept watch with his three-year-old son. He reportedly arranged a car to ferry the teenager.
The accused cop has been identified as Santosh Sen, who is attached to the MP police special task force and currently posted in the Dhar district. The other policeman involved was reportedly identified as Jitendra Rajput, deployed in the Gwalior district. They have been arrested, said Rajan Singh Ahirwar, station house officer of the Jahangirabad police station.
Sen, who was recently shifted to the Dhar district from Bhopal, allegedly called the girl on the evening of July 22 using an acquaintance's mobile phone to invite her to his son's birthday party.
When the girl arrived near the Lal Parade Ground around 6:30 pm, the two policemen were waiting in a car with Rajput's three-year-old son, the official said.
Sen gained the teenager's trust and took her to a house in MP Nagar, where he raped her while Rajput monitored the premises outside with his son, the police official said.
The girl went home and informed her family, and a complaint was lodged. The police initially registered a 'Zero FIR' at the Kamala Nagar police station before transferring the case to the Jahangirabad police station for further investigation. A Zero FIR can be registered at any police station in India, regardless of where the crime took place or its jurisdiction.
Sen has been booked on charges of rape and other offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The acts have also been invoked against Rajput, barring the rape count.
