Indian police officer promoted despite facing charge of sexually assaulting 13-year-old girl, leaving her ‘severely traumatised’

Upadhyay was charged with harassment this year after a complaint by the girl’s mother in 2020

A senior officer charged with child sexual abuse has been appointed as a superintendent in Assam (Getty Images )

A senior police officer in India was charged with sexually assaulting a teenager, the daughter of a colleague, but transferred to a senior position at a district in northeastern Assam state.

Gaurav Upadhyay was charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act — a law enacted for the protection of minors — for allegedly sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl after a complaint was registered at Guwahati city by the mother of the child, who is also a police officer in the same state, reported the Indian Express.

He was charged in March this year but the details were not available until now.

“The charge sheet was filed after investigation and evidence revealed [Gaurav] Upadhyay’s involvement in the case. The allegations against him have been established,” the Hindustan Times quoted criminal investigation department (CID) deputy superintendent, Pradip Kumar Das, as saying.

The case, registered in January 2020, was being probed by Assam Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the documents were submitted at a local court, according to the Express report.

The incident reportedly took place on 31 December 2020, at a New Year’s eve party at the residence of the Mr Upadhyay when he was a police superintendent at Karbi Anglong. The chargesheet says that the consequences of the assault on the minor had left her with “severe psychological trauma.”

Mr Upadhyay was later transferred to Chirang district as part of mass transfers of police officers after the new government took office this month, according to news reports, and has again been appointed a superintendent — a senior position — despite the charges.

Assam Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta was quoted by Indian media outlets as saying that “the chargesheet is done,” and that the matter was “sub-judice”.

“If the court decides, he [the accused ] will be arrested as per law. Until the decision is given by the court, we have to use his services,” Mr Mahanta said and added that the transfer order was issued by the state home department.