Don't mess: Kanpur rape survivor's family threatened as accused cop evades arrest

The 14-year-old gangrape survivor’s family in Kanpur has received messages from an unknown whatsapp number threatening them to face dire consequences if the job of the prime accused sub-inspector is put at risk. The sub-inspector, Amit Kumar Maurya, continues to evade arrest for over eight days despite multiple police teams trying to trace him, raising serious questions over police accountability in Uttar Pradesh.

On January 12, the survivor’s brother received a threatening message on WhatsApp from an unknown number. The message warned him not to “damage the reputation of the sub-inspector,” stating that “no one will help you” if his job was put at risk. Asking the family not to mess with the cop, the sender also claimed that those the family trusted would abandon them.

The sender identified himself as “Chhotu Kushwaha” and described the accused sub-inspector as “innocent and respectable,” while issuing a clear warning of dire consequences if action was taken against his service career.

The minor survivor’s brother has submitted screenshots of the threatening messages to the police. The mobile number used to send the messages has since been switched off, and efforts are underway to trace it through technical surveillance.

Police have announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for information leading to the arrest of the absconding sub-inspector. However, no concrete lead has emerged so far. Sources within the department allege that the accused may be receiving internal assistance to remain underground.

Four police teams have been dispatched to Gorakhpur, Meerut, Prayagraj and Varanasi, though senior officers believe the accused may still be hiding within Kanpur.

The survivor’s brother said the family is living in fear due to repeated threats, while the minor survivor remains traumatised by the accused roaming free.

The accused sub-inspector has also moved the High Court seeking protection from arrest. Police officials claim that multiple agencies, including the crime branch and surveillance units, are working together to apprehend him.

DCP West Qasim Abidi stated that sustained efforts are being made, though no breakthrough has been achieved yet.

In the case so far, action has been taken against five policemen, with some suspended and others removed from the investigation. Police have also registered a separate case over the threats issued to the survivor’s family and have detained a suspect for questioning.

Earlier this month, a 14-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped and gang-raped by a local YouTuber and a police official in Kanpur. The survivor, a class 7 dropout, was reportedly taken in a Mahindra Scorpio to a secluded spot near a railway track, where she was sexually assaulted for nearly two hours before being left unconscious outside her home.

Police have named Sub-Inspector Amit Kumar Maurya and local YouTuber Shivbaran Yadav in the FIR. Yadav has been arrested, while multiple police teams are searching for the absconding Sub-Inspector. The SUV used in the crime, registered to Maurya, has been seized.

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with inputs from Simer Chawla