Two Noida police officers have been suspended after failing to include crucial legal provisions related to religious conversion and SC/ST protections in a rape case, sparking an internal investigation and public outcry.
Noida Police has suspended a station house officer and a sub-inspector for allegedly failing to invoke relevant legal provisions, including those under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act and the SC/ST Act, in a rape case registered earlier this week, officials said on Friday.
The action came after it was found that certain key sections were not included in the FIR lodged on March 17 at Phase-3 police station.
According to police, an FIR was initially registered under sections 69 (sexual intercourse by employing deceitful means), 351 (criminal intimidation) and 308 (extortion) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
"Upon review of the case, it was observed that relevant sections, specifically Section 5(3) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act and Section 3(2)(5) of the SC/ST Act, had not been included in the charges," a police spokesperson said.
Following the lapse, an explanation has been sought from Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Central Noida, Shakti Mohan Avasthy, while a preliminary inquiry has been initiated against Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP-1), Central Noida, Umesh Yadav, police said.
Station House Officer (SHO), Phase-3 police station, Puneet Kumar, and the investigating officer, Sub-Inspector (SI) Preeti Gupta, have been suspended, the spokesperson added.
The inquiry into the matter has been entrusted to Additional DCP, Noida, Manisha Singh.
Police said the complainant, a 24-year-old woman originally from Madhya Pradesh and working in Noida, alleged that a 26-year-old man befriended her on social media concealing his identity. The two later entered into a live-in relationship.
The woman alleged that the accused established sexual relations with her on the pretext of marriage. When she pressed for marriage, he allegedly asked her to convert her religion and also extorted money from her, police said.
Meanwhile, right-wing activists staged a protest outside the Phase-3 police station demanding the inclusion of provisions under the unlawful conversion law and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The relevant sections were subsequently added to the FIR, officials said.