UP barber arrested for ‘sexually assaulting’ eight-year-old girl; shop demolished

On Monday, the father said in his complaint that the girl was on her way to her mother’s shop when the accused allegedly harassed her again. She then informed her mother.

The Station Officer of the police station concerned said based on the complaint, an FIR was registered against the accused under charges of rape and other relevant sections.

“The accused has been arrested and medical reports of the girl are pending,” Circle Officer, Lakhimpur Kheri, Jitendra Singh Parihar said. “He was produced before the court, which remanded him to judicial custody,” said a police officer.

Meanwhile, as news of the incident spread, several people gathered outside the shop and raised slogans on Tuesday.

Police claimed that later in the day, the accused’s shop was demolished by the Nagar Palika. However, Vijay Bahadur Singh, Executive Officer of the Nagar Palika, refuted the claim. “I had refused to demolish the shop without following due procedure. I have not demolished the shop,” Singh said.

Earlier this month, the Allahabad High Court expressed concern over demolitions in Uttar Pradesh of properties belonging to people accused of wrongdoings or their relatives, saying authorities continue to raze structures despite the Supreme Court’s directions that clearly prohibit “punitive demolitions”.

The court had said “demolition of structures is violative of the separation of powers as the authority to punish vests with the judiciary”.