New Delhi, June 20 (IANS) Pulling up the investigation officer (IO) in a four-year-old girl's rape case, a Delhi court has sought an explanation from her for not conducting the probe in a proper manner.
The court said the case file revealed that the statement of the girl had not been recorded since the June 14 incident in south Delhi's Sangam Vihar.
Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Rao, while recording the victim's statement, found fault with the investigation and asked IO Sushma Tyagi and Sangam Vihar Station House Officer Dalip Singh to file a written explanation.
"The allegations were extremely grave in nature, a minor child hardly four years was allegedly sexually molested and the conduct of both the above officials as discussed above has shaken the conscience of the court," said Magistrate Rao in a order delivered Monday.
The girl was sexually assaulted by a man living close to her house in Sangam Vihar. The alleged attacker is in judicial custody.
The court's observation came after it noticed that the girl was quiet during the entire proceedings and failed to answer any question.
The court found that police had not followed the procedure related to treatment of minor rape victims.
According to the direction of the Delhi High court, police must take steps that a minor rape victim should be presented before a child welfare committee for counselling, the court said.
"The incident allegedly occurred June 14 and since the incident the child is residing with her mother at her house," said the court.
"On oral inquiry, the IO could not even state the facts of the case," said the court.
The court added that the IO did not make any attempt to record the statement of the victim's seven-year-old brother, the lone witness to the incident.
