The Opposition Congress on Friday staged walkout in the Chhattisgarh Assembly protesting police apathy over the alleged suicide of a tribal woman after she was reportedly being raped by a person in a locality coming under Ambagarh police station in Rajnandgaon district.
Raising the issue through a calling attention notice in the Assembly, Congress members Tejkumar Netam and Anila Bhendia stated that the woman after being raped had gone to the police station along with her relatives to lodge a complaint on December 18. The victim committed suicide after the police allegedly refused to lodge her complaint. The House witnessed uproar when Home Minister Ramsevak Paikra refuted the allegation and said police promptly acted on the matter and arrested the offender.
The Minister said the victim's son had complained with the police on December 25 that Hirauram, a native of Chorpani village had allegedly raped his mother December 16 after finding her alone. On the basis of the complaint, police registered a case under Section 306 and 376 of Indian Penal Code and arrested the accused. On the basis of the allegation that police did not receive the complaint initially, the Rajnandgaon District Superintendent of Police has suspended an Assistant Sub Inspector on December 26 after a preliminary inquiry was conducted in the case, he said.
Besides, a departmental inquiry was underway against the suspended police officer, he said. Netam and Bhendia however expressed their dissatisfaction on the reply and asked why police took several days to register the complaint. Police registered the FIR on December 25 although the matter was reported to it on December 18, they charged. leader of Opposition TS Singh Deo and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel and other opposition members later staged a walkout protesting the reply of the Minister.