By Our Staff Reporter
Champawat, 3 Aug: A case of rape of a teenager has come to light from Banbasa town in district Champawat. On the complaint of teenager victim’s uncle, the police have registered a case against the accused youth under several sections of BNS 2023 besides the POCSO Act. The accused youth named Afsar Khan has been arrested from Mukteshwar. As the incident involved two communities with a Hindu victim while the alleged rapist being from another community, the Police deployed heavy force in the area to pre-empt any public disturbance. In fact, such incidents are on the rise in Uttarakhand even in the hills where in a number of incidents, migrant youth from a particular community and belonging to other states have either run away with or raped minor Hindu girls from the hills which has evoked strong reactions from the local public.
After the arrest of the rape accused Afsar Khan, the police also held a meeting of both the communities to maintain law and order as well as peace and harmony in the area. It may be recalled that the uncle of a local teenager had filed a complaint in the police station informing that a young man from another community had raped his 14 year old niece and threatened to kill her if she told anyone. Realising the sensitivity of the case involving two different communities, the Police immediately became active to nab the culprit.
SHO Laxman Singh Jagwan informed that the victim girl’s father has died and she lives with her uncle. On the complaint of the family, the police have registered a case against the accused youth under section 65 (1) / 351 (3) and 3/4 of the POCSO Act and BNS Act 2023. The police have recorded the statement of the victim after getting her medical done. The SHO said that the accused Afsar Khan, aged 22 years is originally a resident of Naugwan Pakadia in Pilibhit. He was working as a labourer here with his brother-in-law for some years. The investigation of the case has been handed over to SI Mandakini Rana. The accused has been sent to the court for remand. The accused youth Afsar Khan was arrested by the police from Mukteshwar.
The team that arrested the accused included SHO Laxman Singh Jagwan, SOG in-charge Manish Khatri, Banbasa Sharda Barrage Police Outpost in-charge SI Arvind Kumar, SOG HC Ganesh Singh Bisht, Constable Jagdish Kanyal, Umesh Raj and Girish Bhatt.
