Woman cop assaulted on train: GRP SHO sent to lines for laxity; UP STF probing case

LUCKNOW Inspector in-charge of Ayodhya Cantt railway station, Pappu Yadav, was sent to the police lines on Friday, days after a woman constable in her mid-40s was found lying in a pool of blood on-board the Saryu Express train. The action was taken for laxity as the incident took place at Ayodhya Junction, which was under his jurisdiction, said officials.

The cop was undergoing treatment at Lucknow’s KGMU and her condition was said to be stable. The police, however, failed to make any major headway in the case even as three police teams, including the Special Task Force (STF), were roped in for probe.

The woman constable was found lying under a berth of the general coach of Saryu Express at Ayodhya Junction on August 30 morning with a deep cut on her face.

“SHO Pappu Yadav has been sent to police lines, and UP STF is investigating the case. GRP will only assist in the investigations,” said Sanjeev Kumar Sinha, circle officer, GRP (Lucknow division). In-charge of Ayodhya junction’s GRP outpost, sub-inspector Ashok Pathak, was given additional charge of Ayodhya Cantt police station.

STF sleuths were scanning the CCTV footage of all stations - from Sultanpur to Mankapur - and coordinating with the surveillance team to collect the call detail records of the woman constable to zero in on the possible suspect, said sources.

The woman cop hails from Prayagraj and was posted at 181 Women Helpline Cell in Sultanpur. She was assigned duty for Sawan Mela in Ayodhya on August 30.

On the written complaint by the woman’s brother, Ayodhya Cantt GRP had lodged an FIR under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging duty) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from duty) of the IPC against unidentified persons.