The station house officer (SHO) of Hardoi's Mallawan police station has been suspended for alleged dereliction of duty in connection with the murder of 27-year-old Shilpi Kushwaha in Garhi Rasoolpur village earlier this month. Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar Meena ordered the suspension of SHO Shivakant Pandey after an internal review revealed that the victim had submitted written complaints to the police, warning of threats to her life shortly before the incident. Despite this prior intimation, the police allegedly failed to take timely and adequate preventive action.
Murder and Arrests
Shilpi was murdered on April 13, triggering outrage in the locality. Based on a complaint filed by her father, Ram Rahees, an FIR was registered against two named accused — Rishabh Trivedi and his father, Pramod Trivedi. Both accused are residents of the same village and were arrested and sent to judicial custody.
Departmental Inquiry
Police sources said that a departmental inquiry has been initiated against the suspended SHO to fix accountability for lapses in handling the victim's earlier complaints. Meanwhile, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav announced that he will visit the victim's family in Garhi Rasoolpur on April 30.
Earlier, on April 23, a Samajwadi Party delegation attempting to visit the village was stopped by police and administrative authorities. The party's OBC cell president, Rajpal Kashyap, and his supporters were intercepted in Sandila, while district president Sharafat Ali was placed under house arrest to prevent their movement.
