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Ranchi, May 4: A Jharkhand police officer, assistant sub-inspector Mohammad Aalam, has been arrested on charges of raping a teenager for three months at gunpoint.

Mamata Kumari, 16, had alleged that Aalam sexually exploited her and would beat her up and also threaten her with his revolver if she protested.

The victim lodged a complaint against him with the police here on Thursday, leading to his arrest the same night. He has also been suspended from service. Aalam was posted at the Doranda police station. 

"He started coming to our home saying he was investigating a case. One day he threw vermilion on my head and declared that I was now his wife," said Mamata.

"Aalam started sexually exploiting me. When my family and I protested, he would fire in the air from his revolver. He tried to keep me as his wife, which was not acceptable to me. He kept promising he wanted to get married to me."

Aalam's wife died a few years ago and he was putting pressure on Mamata's family to get them married. The victim showed her injury marks to journalists.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded Aalam's sacking.

"He should be dismissed from service. This is a shameful act," said C P Singh a BJP legislator from Ranchi who had gone to the police station with Mamata when she lodged a complaint.

Jharkhand police chief J B Mahapatra has sought details of the case.

Two years ago, P S Natarajan, an inspector general of police, was suspended when a tribal woman charged him with sexually exploiting her. Natarajan was on the run for 13 months and later surrendered in a Ranchi court.