KANPUR: A YouTuber has been arrested and a police sub-inspector is on the run after the alleged abduction and gang rape of a 14-year-old girl in Kanpur’s Sachendi area, police said on Wednesday.Police commissioner Raghubir Lal removed deputy commissioner of police (West) Dinesh Chandra Tripathi and suspended Sachendi Station House Officer (SHO) Vikram Singh for alleged lapses and distortion of facts. According to police, the victim, a class 7 dropout, was allegedly abducted in a Mahindra Scorpio around 10 pm on Monday. She was taken to a deserted spot near a railway track, where she was sexually assaulted for nearly two hours before being abandoned outside her house in an unconscious state. “Based on the victim’s statement, Sub-Inspector Amit Kumar Maurya and YouTuber Shivbaran Yadav have been named in the FIR. Yadav has been arrested, while four teams have been formed to nab the absconding SI,” Raghubir Lal told reporters. The SUV used in the crime, which belongs to Maurya, has been seized. Investigations revealed that Maurya was present in Sachendi at the time of the incident despite being posted at the Bithoor Police Station. The victim’s family alleged a cover-up by the local police, claiming they were initially turned away when they mentioned a policeman’s involvement. The girl’s brother said the police seized her mobile phone and prevented her from returning home until her court statement was recorded. SHO Vikram Singh was suspended for failing to invoke the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in the initial stages and for allegedly misrepresenting facts in case records. Deenanath Mishra has been given charge of the Sachendi Police Station. The investigation has been handed over to Additional DCP (West) Kapil Dev Singh. The incident has sparked political outrage. Former CPI(M) MP Subhashini Ali met the commissioner to condemn the “widespread impunity” in crimes against women in the state. “The investigation is being conducted with complete transparency, and strict action will be taken against all guilty parties,” Raghubir Lal said.
