Gang-raped Punjab teen kills self, 2 cops dismissed

An 18-year-old girl committed suicide, 44 days after she was allegedly gang-raped and police failed to act against the accused.

The Punjab police on Thursday night sacked two of its personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police, and suspended an assistant sub inspector, besides ordering a probe into police inaction against the rape accused for a long time. The probe will be conducted by a senior police officer.

All the three rape accused, including Shinderpal Kaur, were arrested on Thursday.

Police sources in Patiala said that on the night of Diwali (November 13) the girl of village Badshahpur was allegedly raped by Balwinder Singh and Gurpreet Singh with the connivance of one woman Shinderpal Kaur.

The victim had reported the matter to the police station Ghaggha of the district but the station house officer of the Ghagga police station Gurcharan Singh registered the FIR after 14 days -- on November 27-- under various sections of the Indian Penal Code including 363, 376 and 34 IPC.

Police sources said Gurcharan used to ask the victim embarassing questions relating to the alleged rape every time she used to visit the police station to find out about follow-up action on her complaint. They said the girl consumed poisonous substance at her hey house and succumbed in a nearby hospital on Wednesday night.

The investigation officer of the case Assistant Sub Inspector Nasib Singh failed to complete his probe into the case while DSP of Patran Harpreet Singh, under whose jurisdiction the crime spot fell, did not take any action in the matter, resulting in the girl committing suicide.

On the basis of a preliminary inquiry, Harpreet Singh was suspended and Gurcharan Singh and Nasib Singh were sacked.