UP horror: YouTuber arrested, cop on run after gang rape of 14-year-old in Kanpur

Kanpur: Authorities have arrested a local YouTuber and launched a manhunt for a police sub-inspector following the alleged abduction and gang rape of a 14-year-old girl in the city’s Sachendi area.

The case has triggered a major administrative shake-up by Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal, who on Wednesday removed Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Dinesh Chandra Tripathi and suspended Sachendi Station House Officer (SHO) Vikram Singh. The disciplinary actions follow allegations of professional lapses and the deliberate distortion of facts to shield the accused.

According to investigators, the victim, a seventh-grade dropout, was kidnapped in a Mahindra Scorpio around 10 p.m. Monday. She was reportedly driven to a secluded area near a railway track and sexually assaulted for nearly two hours before being left unconscious outside her home.

"Based on the victim's statement, Sub-Inspector Amit Kumar Maurya and YouTuber Shivbaran Yadav have been named in the FIR," Commissioner Raghubir Lal told reporters. "Yadav has been arrested, while four teams have been formed to nab the absconding SI."

Police have seized the SUV used in the crime, which is registered to Maurya. Although the sub-inspector was officially posted at the Bithoor Police Station, digital forensics confirmed his presence in Sachendi at the time of the assault.

The victim's family has accused the local police of an attempted cover-up, claiming they were initially turned away by officers when they identified a policeman as a suspect. The girl's brother alleged that police confiscated her mobile phone and delayed her return home until a formal court statement was recorded.

SHO Vikram Singh was suspended specifically for failing to apply the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in the initial report and for misrepresenting case details in official records. Deenanath Mishra has been appointed to lead the Sachendi station, while Additional DCP (West) Kapil Dev Singh has taken over the investigation.

The incident has drawn sharp political condemnation. Former CPI(M) MP Subhashini Ali met with the commissioner to denounce what she termed "widespread impunity" regarding violence against women in the state.

"The investigation is being conducted with complete transparency, and strict action will be taken against all guilty parties," Lal stated, emphasising that the department would not tolerate misconduct within its ranks.

With inputs from PTI