Ludhiana : Two Punjab Police officials who had refused to register a case when a rape victim was set ablaze by her tormentors here last week have been suspended, police said Wednesday.
The 17-year-old victim, from Prem Nagar colony of this industrial city, died in a government hospital in Chandigarh Tuesday. She had received 75 percent burns and was in a critical condition.
The Punjab Police has suspended assistant sub inspectors (ASIs) Balbir Singh and Mohan Lal, both in-charge of police posts in the victim’s locality. The police officials had refused to register a case after the victim’s mother complained that she (victim) had been set ablaze.
Tension had prevailed Tuesday in the locality where the victim’s family resides after her body was brought from Chandigarh. She was cremated here Tuesday night amid tight security.
She had been set ablaze by six youths inside her house here Dec 4. Three of the accused had earlier been arrested after she alleged that they had raped her two months ago. The accused had been released on bail by a court when they set her ablaze.
Police later arrested two of the accused in the incident. All accused are from Bihar, police said.
The youths came out on bail recently and reached the house of the victim along with three other friends. They poured kerosene on her and set her ablaze.