Lucknow woman harassment case: 4 held, 8 cops including DCP face action

Lucknow: A woman riding pillion on a motorcycle was groped and harassed by a group of men in a waterlogged area here, prompting police to arrest four people and take action against eight officials, including the DCP concerned.

While five police personnel, including the local police station incharge, were suspended, the deputy commissioner of police (East Lucknow), additional DCP and assistant commissioner of police (ACP) were shunted out for negligence, an official statement said on Thursday.

A purported video of the incident, which took place near the underpass close to the Taj Hotel in the posh Gomti Nagar area on Wednesday, went viral on social media.

In the video, the men are seen splashing water on the motorcycle wading through the waterlogged road. The men quickly surround the motorcycle and some start pulling it from behind. Amidst the melee, while the man driving the motorcycle tries to pull through, at least one of the accused gropes the woman who is riding pillion.

The men stop pulling the motorcycle only when the woman falls down.

"Taking cognizance of the incident, an FIR was lodged at Gomti Nagar police station. Police formed four different teams, including a crime team, to apprehend the culprits.

"As a result, four accused were arrested and based on the evidence collected and CCTV footage, additional relevant sections have been added to the FIR," the statement issued by police said.

The accused have been booked under sections 191(2) (rioting) and 74 (assault or use of criminal force with intent to outrage modesty) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, it said.

Lucknow Police Commissioner Amrendra Kumar Sengar said two of the four arrested accused -- Pawan Yadav and Sunil Kumar -- were identified through CCTV footage on Wednesday night and they led police to the other two -- Mohammed Arbaaz and Viraj Sahu.

"Raids are being conducted to arrest the other accused," Sengar said.

Acknowledging "apparent negligence" in handling the situation, the police statement said DCP (East Lucknow) Prabal Pratap Singh, Additional DCP Amit Kumawat and ACP Anshu Jain have been removed from their positions with immediate effect.

Inspector Incharge Deepak Kumar Pandey, Chowki Incharge Rishi Vivek and three other police personnel present at the chowki -- Sub-Inspector Kapil Kumar and Constables Dharmveer and Virendra Kumar -- have been suspended, the statement said.