A routine school awareness programme in Lucknow took a critical turn, leading to the registration of a police case against a father for alleged sexual abuse and assault. The incident unfolded during a Mission Shakti interaction at a prominent school in the Jankipuram area.
School Session Becomes Catalyst for Disclosure
On Saturday, a team from the Mission Shakti programme visited the school to sensitise girls about their rights and build trust in the police as allies. Officials encouraged the students to speak openly about any harassment or violence they faced. Moved by this assurance, a student of Class 9 broke down and narrated her alleged ordeal at home, implicating her own father.
Serious Allegations Detailed in Complaint
In her written complaint, the student detailed a series of grave allegations. She stated that her father, who runs a couple of businesses and was married in 2002, developed an illicit relationship soon after marriage. When she and her mother objected, he allegedly assaulted her mother and confiscated her mobile phone.
The student further accused her father of imposing severe restrictions on her movement, forbidding her from leaving the house, and installing surveillance cameras inside the home to monitor family members. The most serious accusations involved inappropriate behaviour and assault, including him placing his leg over her while sleeping and making objectionable remarks about her body. The complaint also states that the accused assaulted his own mother during family disputes.
FIR Registered, Investigation Underway
Based on the student's complaint, the Jankipuram police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against her father. Jankipuram SHO VK Tiwari confirmed that the case was lodged under charges of outraging modesty, criminal assault, and sections 7 and 8 of the POCSO Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012).
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Aliganj, Syed Areeb Ahmad, stated, "The allegations are serious. Statements will be recorded and the accused will be questioned. Further legal action will be taken based on the outcome of the investigation."
This poignant incident has underscored the vital role of school outreach programmes like Mission Shakti in empowering victims to break their silence and seek legal protection against abuse.
