HT Digital
GUWAHATI, JUNE 24: A special court in Assam has ordered the framing of charges against Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Gaurav Upadhyay in a six-year-old case involving serious allegations of child sexual abuse. The case, registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and applicable sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), continues to draw public and legal attention as it moves forward.
The case is related to an incident in December 2019, when Upadhyay was accused of molestation by a 14-year-old girl. In January 2020, an FIR was lodged and later the case was transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation. Upadhyay was the Superintendent of Police for Karbi Anglong district at the time of the alleged assault.
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Based on the court’s directive, the survivor gave two distinct accounts of assault—one at the official SP residence in Diphu and another in a hotel room she shared with her mother and brother. The incidents are said to have taken place during the time Upadhyay was the district police chief, which makes the acts attract the aggravated provisions of the POCSO Act, specifically Section 9, which are punishable under Section 10.
Apart from POCSO cases, the court has also invoked Sections 354 and 354A of the IPC. These pertain to assault or use of criminal force with intent to outrage a woman’s modesty and sexual harassment. The court referred to the survivor’s statement, in which she accused Upadhyay of having used physical force to kiss her and fondling her private areas.
In view of the proof and evidence, charges under Section 10 of the POCSO Act and Sections 354 and 354A of the IPC are here framed,” the special judge said in the formal order.
Gaurav Upadhyay, the Uttar Pradesh-born 2012-batch IPS officer, is now an additional secretary in the Assam Transport Department. He is also in charge of high-profile infrastructure projects such as the Assam Inland Water Transport Development Society and the Integrated River Basin Management.
Upadhyay’s professional experience shows a distinguishing career background, with previous work in the private sector. Prior to joining the civil services, he had worked for close to six years with multinational IT companies such as IBM and Black Box Corporation. He has a B.Tech in Information Technology and an MBA in IT and Marketing from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT).
