Police allegedly forced rape victim to withdraw complaint

Barabanki: In Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, a 16-year-old rape victim was reportedly pressured by local police to withdraw her complaint. The case involves 25-year-old Ankit Verma, who is accused of kidnapping and raping the teenager. The accused was reportedly ordered to pay the victim Rs 50,000, following which she withdrew her complaint.

According to media reports, Ankit Verma abducted the girl outside her village on August 22, 2024 and took her to a hotel in Ghaziabad, where the assault continued. When her condition worsened on August 25, 2024, he left her outside her house and threatened her to keep quiet.

District SP Dinesh Singh confirmed Verma’s arrest and said that station house superintendent Arun Pratap Singh and officer Manoj Kumar have been relieved of their posts and suspended pending the completion of the agency’s investigation. Ankit’s brother, who is also accused of assaulting the girl, has been arrested.

The survivor’s uncle, who has been her guardian since her father was murdered in 2018 and her mother’s subsequent suicide, reported the forced withdrawal of the complaint.