Police indifference in registering rape cases
Despite the Supreme Court mandating registration of an FIR in cognisable offences, police continue to be defiant and even turn away complainants in grave cases.
Despite the Supreme Court mandating registration of an FIR in cognisable offences, police continue to be defiant and even turn away complainants in grave cases.
In a recent case of police apathy, a 19-year-old woman has accused the police of not registering an FIR in a rape case for over four months and not getting her medically examined.
She has also accused the cops of pressing her to marry the rape accused. The teenager claimed that the police moved only after she approached deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Nilambari Jagdale, but took her for medical examination 20 days after lodging an FIR, which was over five months after the incident.
Doctors at the civil hospital told the police a medical examination was pointless now.The victim also alle ged that the accused was roaming freely and threatening her, but the police were deliberately not arresting him.
The woman, a tenant in the house of the accused, Babbu of Azad Nagar, near Dhuri Lines area, alleged that her landlord had ill intentions towards her, following which her family vacated his house and shifted to Millar Gunj area.
“However, Babbu barged into my house in May and raped me, before fleeing. I filed a complaint at Millar Gunj police post soon after. But, the police post incharge, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Avtar Singh, instead of taking swift action, started dilly-dallying the matter,” the victim alleged.
“The ASI also forced me to marry Babu. Therefore, on August 12, I filed a complaint with DCP Nilambari Jagdale, who marked an inquiry to assistant commissioner of police (ACP) (Atam Nagar). It was only then that the police registered a case of rape against Babbu at the Model Town police station on September 10,” she said, adding that they took her for medical examination even later, in October.
The victim alleged that as one of the relatives of the accused was employed with the Amritsar police, the Ludhiana police were deliberately delaying the arrest, adding that the top brass had also failed to take action against the Millar Gunj police post incharge for inaction.
When contacted, ASI Avtar Singh said the police had been investigating the matter, but the case was transferred to Model Town police station as the victim had shifted to Manjit Nagar area that lied under Model Town police station.
Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) city-2 JS Sidhu he was aware that the victim was taken for medical examination recently, but he would inquire into why there was a delay.
