Another section added to FIR against ex-SHO

In continued action against former Phillaur SHO Bhushan Kumar in the sexual harassment case, in the wake of the directions of the Punjab State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (PSCRC), the additonal charges have been included in an FIR registered against the SHO on October 23 at the Phillaur police station.

Section 21 (1) (failure to record/report the commission of an offence) has been added to the FIR for the SHO's alleged delay in registering the FIR in a rape case.

In a letter to the Additional Chief Secretary, Home Affairs and Justice Department, PSCRC chairman Kanwardeep Singh had sought the addition of Section 21 of the POCSO Act to the case against the suspended SHO, along with other recommendations.

Three FIRs of sexual harassment had been registered against Bhushan after a woman had complained against the SHO, alleging sexual harassment of her minor daughter, who was a rape victim. The woman had alleged that the SHO delayed filing a rape case and instead subjected her and her daughter to sexual harassment.

In the wake of these complaints, another FIR had also been filed against the SHO after another 22-year-old victim complained of sexual harassment.

Following the case being highlighted, Bhushan Kumar had been suspended.

The charges have been added to the October 23 FIR, in which Bhushan had been booked under sections 10, 12 and 18 of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Amended), 2012, 2019 as well as Section 62 (2) of the BNS. This FIR against the SHO had been registered on the complaint of the minor girl's mother. The same woman was also the key complainant in the former FIR registered against the SHO on October 14, 2025, under sections 75 (1) (sexual harassment) of the BNS, 67(D) of the Police Act and 67 of the IT Act, at the Phillaur police station.

SHO, Phillaur police station, Aman Saini said, "Section 21(1) of the POCSO Act has been added to the FIR against the SHO due to the delay in filing the case. The charges were added on Sunday and the probe on the issue is on."