In Uttar Pradesh’s Bhadohi, a man named Shahid was lodged in jail on the charges of eloping with an underage girl belonging to a different community. He managed to get out of jail by securing bail. However, soon after coming out of jail, Shahid once again lured the same girl away.
Family of girl accuses Police of conniving with the accused
The family have made serious allegations of collusion against the police. They have alleged that the police have manipulated the age of the girl by conniving with the medical team and declared her an adult. The case is of a village in Gopiganj police station area and is considered sensitive as the man and the girl hail from different communities. The victim’s parents showed the girl’s Aadhar card and school records to allege that their daughter is just 15-years-old and therefore minor.
Sections of POCSO not invoked because the victim was portrayed as an adult
The medical investigation estimated the age of the girl to be between 18 to 20 years. This was one of the reasons why relevant sections of the POCSO (Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences) Act, 2012 were not invoked in the case against Shahid when he was arrested earlier in March this year for luring away the same girl.
With Shahid escaping the charges under the POCSO Act, the family of the girl feared that he might soon come out of jail and once again try to lure their daughter away. Their fears came true when Shahid eloped the girl afresh after securing bail.
A complaint was filed against Shahid by the family of the girl on November 12. However, the police are yet to arrest the accused or ascertain the whereabouts of the minor girl. The girl’s family members have demanded the top officials of the district to take appropriate action in the matter.