The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday issued notice of motion to Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh on a public interest litigation seeking appropriate action against superintendents of police and deputy superintendents of police for failing to ensure compliance of latest provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) pertaining to rape cases.
The petition, which came up for hearing before the division bench headed by chief justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, also sought directions that forensic science laboratories be directed to submit reports in rape cases on priority basis and only lady police officials be made investigation officers in cases of rape and sexual harassment.
The court was informed that with effect from February 3, under amended provisions of the CrPC, FIRs in cases of rape and sexual harassment had to be recorded by a lady police officer. But information received under the RTI Act revealed that in Punjab, out of 97 rape cases in some of the districts, only in two cases, a lady police officer had recorded the statement of the rape victim. It was informed that the position of the UT Chandigarh police was also no better.
The petitioner informed the court that as per the RTI information, forensic reports from forensic science laboratories were being received with considerable delay, which delayed completion of trials in rape cases.
{{/usCountry}}The petitioner informed the court that as per the RTI information, forensic reports from forensic science laboratories were being received with considerable delay, which delayed completion of trials in rape cases.
{{/usCountry}}The case would now come up for hearing on December 16.