Patna: A 16-year-old girl, who was allegedly raped while returning to Patna from Hajipur on Saturday night, had to wait for over 10 hours to get her police complaint lodged.

The girl, who works as a domestic help at the Patna residence of a high court lawyer, was returning from Hajipur in Vaishali district, around 20km north of the state capital, in an autorickshaw around 9.30pm.

The driver forcibly took her to Konhara Road and raped her along with his friend who was in the vehicle. The duo threatened to kill her if she informed the police.

They took her to Hajipur railway station where they wanted to check into a hotel. On seeing a constable of the Hajipur Government Railway Police (GRP) station, the girl raised an alarm and narrated her ordeal to the cop. Passers-by helped nab the driver. His friend managed to escape.

Police said the driver Guddu Kumar Sah, a resident of Daulatpur village under the jurisdiction of Rivilganj police station in Saran district, had dropped other passengers off on Hajipur station road on the pretext of a snag in his auto.

Hajipur GRP station house officer (SHO) Imran Alam said on Sunday that a GRP team took the survivor to the Hajipur Women's police station around 10.30pm to lodge a case and get her statement recorded.

However, the office of SHO Poonam Kumari was locked.

As the SHO didn't pick up her phone, the GRP team returned with the girl to the police station and kept her there. Around 7am on Sunday, the office of the Women's police station SHO was still locked.

An FIR was finally lodged with the Hajipur Town police station around 9am after local residents held a demonstration in front of the Women's police station, and additional superintendent of police Ajay Kumar intervened.

The Hajipur GRP said Guddu was arrested and handed over to the Hajipur Town police station. A team of doctors at Hajipur Sadar Hospital examined the girl.

The girl earlier told the police that she had gone to Chhapra, the district headquarters town of Saran, to drop her employer's mother.

"On my way back, I alighted from the Lichchavi Express at Hajipur and took an auto for Patna," she is learnt to have told the investigating officer.

A senior officer posted at the police headquarters said disciplinary action should be initiated against the Hajipur Women's police SHO for being absent from office and keeping the police station locked. "It's up to the Vaishali superintendent of police to initiate action against the SHO," he added.

Cuffs on priest

A Christian priest, Chandrama Raj, was arrested on Sunday on charges of raping two women at his Gulzarbagh residence two months ago.

One of the women had complained at the Mahila police station at Gandhi Maidan on September 29. The cops lodged the FIR on October 8.

Mahila police SHO Biva Devi said: "The victim had made a written complaint on September 29, but after that she didn't turn up. Her mobile was also switched off."

The SHO said the FIR was registered a week later as the cops were investigating.

"The police arrested the priest only after we pressured them," said Archana Rai, a woman's rights activist.

"This is clear case of delay by police," said Patna High Court advocate Saket Tiwari. "When a woman makes any complaint of rape or sexual assault, the police have to register the complaint immediately, the woman's statement has to be recorded on video and she has to be produced before the judicial magistrate."

A group of women protested outside the Mahila police station on Sunday, alleging the priest was being framed.

Patna senior superintendent of police Manu Maharaaj said: "The complainant and the accused have submitted a compromise petition in court. The court order will be complied with."