The 23-year-old male cousin of a rape survivor has accused three police personnel of sexually harassing him on the night of 6th July in Chandigarh. The survivor had brought rape charges against five Chandigarh police personnel seven months ago.
According to some media reports, the cousin claimed he was also beaten up by the policemen, who tried to implicate him in a false case. He said he was riding back home on his scooter when he was confronted by two people asking for a lift. On the way, he was intercepted by cops, who recognized him as the cousin of the aforementioned rape victim.
The police subsequently started to abuse and beat him up. They took him to a forested area where they removed his clothes and attempted to sexually harass him. When he objected, they took him to the police station, where he was told that he was brought there for triple-riding and not carrying a valid licence. The cousin further alleged that a female police officer spat in his face before beating him up. He was allegedly let off late at night.
The police, when contacted, said they were yet to receive any complaint. The SHO of the police station in question said the cousin’s allegations were baseless.
(While the cousin’s and the rape survivor’s name have appeared in several publications, we have refrained from taking any names to ensure privacy and security of the people in question)