The Basti police finally claimed to have arrested the revenue officer accused of attempting to rape his senior colleague. A cash reward of Rs 25,000 had been announced on the arrest of the absconding officer.

Interestingly, controversy shrouded the arrest as the local police claimed to have arrested him from a bus station when he was trying to flee. However, the accused said he surrendered with full faith in the judiciary.

It may be mentioned that a female naib tehsildar had alleged rape attempt by the revenue officer. The woman had released a video and appealed to the chief minister to intervene in the matter and ensure justice was meted out to her.

According to the complainant, a PCS officer of the 2020 batch posted at Sadar tehsil in Basti district, Ghanshyam Shukla, also posted there, allegedly barged inside her room on Diwali night and attempted to rape her. Two days later when the woman gave a written complaint to the police, the cops allegedly tried to sweep the issue under the carpet, she alleged. As soon as the incident hogged media attention, the police registered an FIR, the woman said.

After the police failed to arrest the accused, the woman officer again released a video appeal seeking the chief minister’s intervention in the case.

She demanded that the accused be arrested immediately. The woman said that a fellow officer misbehaved with her and she was forced to run from pillar to post for justice.

Sources said that both the complainant and the accused worked together in the same tehsil and were neighbours.

According to the sources, both of them would often chat on WhatsApp.

Not only the opposition party leaders but also BJP MLC Devendra Pratap Singh targeted the local administration over the incident and the delay in the arrest of the accused.

“If the DM and SP had a daughter in their house, would they not have arrested the accused? Ghanshyam Shukla should be arrested as soon as possible under any circumstances,” Singh had said.