2 Police Sub-Inspectors Suspended on Charges of Molesting Female Pilgrim in Kedarnath

Dehradun: Two police sub-inspectors were suspended by the Uttarakhand government on charges of molesting a woman pilgrim from Madhya Pradesh in Kedarnath in 2023.

The suspended cops are Sub-inspector Kuldeep Negi and Kedarnath Station House Officer Manjul Rawat. Actions were initiated against them following the recommendation of an inquiry committee.

According to reports, in May 2023, the woman from Madhya Pradesh, who had come to Kedarnath along with eight of her friends, was left behind as there was no space in the helicopter. While she was waiting for the next helicopter ride, the weather turned bad and the helicopter was suspended for the day.

Finding no place to stay, she sought Rawat’s help. He asked her to stay at the police camp for the night adding that a woman constable will be deployed there for her security. But no woman constable was put on duty at the police camp in Kedarnath as promised.

As per the complaint lodged by the woman, sub-inspector Negi came to the camp in an inebriated condition and molested her. She returned to Indore the next morning and lodged a complaint with the Rudraprayag SP on WhatsApp.

The SP instituted an inquiry committee, but the probe did not make much progress. Then in October 2023, the woman lodged a complaint on CM helpline Uttarakhand. This prompted the Uttarakhand government to direct the Dehradun’s SP (city) to investigate the matter.

He submitted his report to the administration indicting the two cops. An FIR was lodged against the erring police personnel at Sonprayag Kotwali on June 28 and both of them were suspended.