Jalandhar rape and murder: ASI dismissed for ‘negligence in duty’; 2 PCR officials suspended
The officials failed to carry out mandatory police procedures at the crime scene, says Jalandhar commissioner of police
Taking stringent departmental action, Jalandhar commissioner of police Dhanpreet Kaur Randhawa has dismissed assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Mangat Ram from service with immediate effect for showing negligence in the case of sexual assault and murder of a 14-year-old minor girl.
The ASI was put under suspension after the incident on November 22.
CP Dhanpreet Kaur said two more police personnel deputed in the PCR unit have been suspended, and a departmental inquiry has been initiated against them.
“This action has been taken with immediate effect, keeping in view the seriousness of the incident and the gross negligence that came to light during the investigation,” Dhanpreet said.
She added that during the probe, it was found that the ASI failed to carry out mandatory police procedures at the crime scene and did not properly examine the CCTV footage.
“Such negligence not only damaged the reputation of the police department but also affected the process of delivering justice,” Dhanpreet said.
On November 22, a 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered by a 46-year-old accused, identified as Harminder Singh. Her body was retrieved from one of the washrooms of Singh’s residence.
According to police, the girl had gone to the accused’s house to meet his daughter when the incident occurred. The accused was alone at home on November 22 as his wife and daughter were away.
The victim’s family filed a missing persons complaint that evening when she failed to return home.
“After the complaint was registered, a police team led by ASI Mangat Ram was sent to search for the girl, but he returned without any leads, and the house of the accused was not checked,” a police official said.
Later, locals reviewed CCTV footage that showed the girl entering the accused’s house around 4 pm and not leaving. Suspicious, they entered the house and discovered her body in a washroom. Police said prima facie, it appears the girl was strangled to death. A case has been registered under Sections 103 (murder) and 65(1) (rape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant provisions of the POCSO Act.
Jalandhar's police commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur Randhawa dismissed ASI Mangat Ram for negligence in the sexual assault and murder investigation of a 14-year-old girl, whose body was found on November 22. Two other officers were suspended, and an inquiry is underway. The ASI failed to follow procedures and examine crucial CCTV footage, hindering justice.