A visit to religious places in Uttar Pradesh allegedly ended with a woman being sexually assaulted at a farmhouse in Amroha.
The woman, from Haryana’s Fatehabad, had travelled after being invited by an acquaintance. Police say she later contacted them from inside the farmhouse after allegedly being assaulted by three men and resisting an attempt by a fourth.
The four accused are all security personnel: two from the Uttar Pradesh Police and two from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). All four have been arrested.
Here is what police say happened.
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From A Religious Trip To A Farmhouse
According to Amroha Superintendent of Police Lakhan Singh Yadav, the woman was contacted by a female acquaintance on 20 September and asked to meet CRPF personnel Mohit for a visit to religious places in Amroha.
She met Mohit in Sonipat on 21 September. They then travelled to Meerut, where CRPF personnel Lalaram Yadav joined them.
On the evening of 22 September, the two men took the woman towards Hasanpur in a car. On the way, they allegedly picked up Uttar Pradesh Police Sub-Inspector Sanjay Tomar.
The group then went to a farmhouse on the Atrasi-Hasanpur road and booked two rooms. According to the woman’s complaint, UP Police personnel Pramod Malik later arrived with food and liquor.
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What Happened Inside The Farmhouse?
The woman alleged that Mohit, Lalaram Yadav and Sanjay Tomar sexually assaulted her one after another.
She further alleged that Pramod later entered the room and attempted to sexually assault her.
The woman told police that she pushed him away and locked herself inside the room.
She then searched online for an Amroha police contact number and called for help at around 6 am on 23 September.
Police teams from Hasanpur and Rajabpur reached the farmhouse and took her to safety. The four accused were arrested, according to police.
The Indian Express reported that the four men allegedly banged on the locked door and asked the woman to open it before police arrived. Police later arrested the accused within hours.
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Who Are The Four Accused?
Police have identified the four accused as:
Mohit, a CRPF personnel
Lalaram Yadav, a CRPF personnel
Sanjay Tomar, a Uttar Pradesh Police personnel
Pramod Malik, a Uttar Pradesh Police personnel
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What Police Have Done
An FIR has been registered against all four accused under Section 70(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), according to the Amroha SP. The provision deals with gang rape.
Police have arrested all four accused and initiated further investigation.
The two Uttar Pradesh Police personnel have also faced departmental action. Reports say they were suspended and departmental proceedings were initiated.
A report has been sent to the senior CRPF authorities regarding the two CRPF personnel for disciplinary action.
Police have also questioned the farmhouse manager as part of the investigation.
What About The MLA's Farmhouse?
The farmhouse where the alleged incident took place has been identified in reports as belonging to Umesh Kumar Sharma, an independent MLA from Uttarakhand's Khanpur constituency.
According to The Times Now, Sharma has issued a public statement about the incident and the presence of police and CRPF personnel at the farmhouse.
The reports, do not allege that Sharma was involved in the alleged sexual assault.
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The Bigger Question: When Cops Are Among The Accused
The case raises a question about accountability when serving police and security personnel are accused of sexual offences.
Two of the four accused in the Amroha case are Uttar Pradesh Police personnel, while the other two are CRPF personnel. All four have been arrested following the woman's complaint.
An arrest does not establish guilt. The allegations against the four men will be examined during the investigation and court proceedings.
According to the NCRB's Crime in India 2024 report, 29,536 rape cases were registered across India in 2024. Uttar Pradesh recorded 3,209 rape cases that year.
These figures refer to cases registered with the police. They do not by themselves establish the actual incidence of rape.
In the Amroha case, the investigation will establish the circumstances of the alleged incident and the individual roles of the four accused. Police have registered an FIR and arrested all four men. Departmental action has also been initiated against the two UP Police personnel, while a report has been sent to senior CRPF authorities regarding the two CRPF personnel.
The four men remain accused and have not been convicted. The investigation and court proceedings will determine what can be established as fact.
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TL;DR | News At a Glance
What happened in Amroha?
A woman from Haryana alleged that she was sexually assaulted at a farmhouse in the Hasanpur area of Amroha after travelling there on the pretext of visiting religious places.
Who has been arrested?
Two Uttar Pradesh Police personnel, identified as Sanjay Tomar and Pramod Malik, and two CRPF personnel, identified as Mohit and Lalaram Yadav, have been arrested.
How did the woman seek help?
She allegedly locked herself inside a room after resisting a further assault and called the police at around 6 am on 23 September.
What legal action has been taken?
Police registered an FIR under Section 70(1) of the BNS and arrested all four accused. Departmental action has also been initiated against the police and CRPF personnel.
Was the farmhouse confirmed to belong to an MLA?
Police and the property caretaker have linked it to an independent Uttarakhand MLA, but The Times of India reported that police had not publicly confirmed the ownership. The MLA has denied involvement and sought to distance himself from the incident.
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