Viraj Deshpande- (Lokmat News Network Nagpur)
The Child Welfare Committee (CWC), a quasi-judicial autonomous body, is all set to write to the police department asking for a woman investigation officer to handle the torture and sexual abuse case involving the 10-year-old girl of Atharva Nagar in Hudkeshwar area of the Nagpur. Concerns have been raised about a male officer investigating the sensitive case wherein a young girl is involved. A PSI investigating the case was recently suspended for allegedly giving VIP treatment to the accused. The CWC chairperson Chayya Gurav told Lokmat Times, "It is better to have a female officer as the girl is likely to open up before her better than a male officer."
Experts said that under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, it is essential to have a female officer, of the rank of PSI and above, while recording the statement of the survivor in the case. Earlier, PSI Balu Rathore of Hudkeshwar police station was the investigation officer of the case but he was suspended for allegedly providing VIP treatment to the accused. After this the investigation was handed over to the senior PI Jagvendra Rajput. However, the appointment of male officer again raised several concerns among citizens. Hudkeshwar police since the beginning of this case has been accused of taking it lightly. Initially, two cops who had gone to the Atharva Nagari after the girl was found had left her with a family there claiming that they had no woman official with them. They had asked the residents to keep the girl at their residence and bring her around to the police station the next day. After this the VIP treatment controversy happened. Meanwhile, police have also made the father of the girl accused in the case. Police had earlier arrested Arman Khan and his brother-in-law Azhar Sheikh. Arman's wife Heena is still at large. The girl is currently in a government home facing an uncertain future as her father has also been made an accused in the case. She is also being provided with counseling, said sources.