Gang-rape case: Suspended SI arrested in Sachendi village

Kanpur: Police arrested suspended sub-inspector, Amit Maurya, the second accused in the Sachendi gang-rape case involving a minor, on Friday from near Sona village.

Maurya, a native of Belghat, Kuri Bazar in Gorakhpur, carried a reward of Rs 50,000 on his arrest. He had come to the city to meet an associate to gather information about the police movements when he was arrested, said additional police commissioner, crime and headquarters, Sankalp Sharma.

A 14-year-old girl was gang-raped on the night of Jan 5 in a Sachendi village. The girl approached a police outpost and accused Sachendi-based YouTuber Shivbaran Yadav and then sub-inspector of Bhimsen Chowki, Amit Maurya, of the crime. She also alleged that Sachendi police were trying to shield both the accused.

Following the orders from Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal, police arrested the accused YouTuber the next day of filing the case and sent him to jail, while Maurya was suspended and a reward of Rs 50,000 was announced on his arrest. Since then, police and the Crime Branch had conducted raids at probable locations across Lucknow, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Ghaziabad, Maharajganj and Meerut districts to nab the accused. A chargesheet was filed against the YouTuber in April.

The suspended SI posted a four-page letter on WhatsApp groups in his defence. He subsequently filed a petition in the high court seeking quashing of the case, which was rejected.

In April, police made a public announcement outside his residence in Gorakhpur and pasted a court proclamation notice there. Authorities were also preparing for attachment proceedings when police nabbed him on Friday and sent him to jail.