Meerut (Uttar Pradesh), Apr 2 (IANS): Prem Chand Sharma, the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Nauchandi police station in Meerut, is now facing an inquiry after he asked an assault victim to recite 'Gayatri' Mantra 108 times and to go on a pilgrimage to Haridwar to resolve his problem.

The complainant, Hemant Goyal, 57, had approached the SHO with a complaint of assault by his second wife and stepson.

The SHO advised him to recite the Gayatri Mantra and visit Haridwar and said that this would solve the problem.

Ram Kumar, the lawyer representing Goyal, told reporters, "No FIR was registered despite the fact that my client was brutally assaulted by the accused."

The matter became public when the advice of the SHO went viral on social media.

Inspector General (IG) of Meerut zone, Praveen Kumar, has now ordered a probe into the matter and Goyal's FIR has been registered.

In a tweet, Meerut police said, "Based on the complaint of the victim, an FIR under relevant sections was registered at Nauchandi police station. An impartial investigation is being done based on the medical report and evidence".

The SHO, incidentally, is the same one who had been distributing 'Ganga jal' in bottles at the police station.

SHO Sharma believes that the practice helps him keep a tab on crime. "People have become less aggressive. They come here and calmly give their complaint. The entire Nauchandi area has become quiet," he said.