Fadnavis Suspends Cops after Victim of Teasing Dies

Pune, Jan 19 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Monday suspended two policemen following the death of a young girl who was teased and who went into a coma after attempting suicide.

Fadnavis said stringent action would be taken against the guilty police personnel who have been accused of not initiating timely action against the culprits who harassed the 14-year-old schoolgirl.

The victim was first targeted on the night of Dec 31 by three miscreants and again three days later in Bhosari area of Pimpri-Chinchwad, on the outskirts of Pune.

When her family went to lodge a police complaint, they were ignored on grounds of jurisdiction. Finally, a complaint was registered by the MIDC Bhosari police station.

Apparently depressed by lack of police help, the victim went home and hanged herself.

The family rushed her to a hospital where she lapsed into a coma for 12 days before breathing her last around Sunday midnight.

"If the police had taken timely action on our pleas and complaints, I would not have lost my daughter. The government must take strong action against the police and eve teasers," her grieving father said Monday.

The police have arrested the three guilty men - Babu Naik, Sachin Chavan and Aqeeb Sheikh. They have been charged with molestation.