Human rights panel seeks police report over inaction on Chandigarh woman’s stalking complaint

The woman, a resident of Chandigarh’s Hallomajra, was forced to shift homes after being allegedly stalked for two months

Taking suo-moto cognizance of a media report, Punjab State Human Rights Commission has sought a report from senior superintendent of police over alleged police inaction against the complaint of a woman who was forced to shift homes after being allegedly stalked for two months.

Punjab State Human Rights Commission has sought a report from police over alleged inaction against the stalking complaint of a Chandigarh resident. (HT File)

Mentioning the report published in an English daily on Friday, the commission comprising chairperson Justice Sant Parkash and member Justice Nirmaljit Kaur have directed the SSP to submit a report before the next date of hearing on July 10, 2023.

“The news item indicated that a woman who is a resident of Hallomajra, Chandigarh, and her two children have been forced to shift to her relative’s house because a miscreant has been stalking her for two months. She has alleged inaction of UT police on her complaint,” the commission observed.

As per the report, the woman had alleged that she had called SSP Kanwardeep Kaur but she did not respond.

The 24-year-old stalker allegedly barged into the house of the woman’s relatives, where she had shifted to, on May 2 and abused her.

Sharing information, a senior police officer not wishing to be named said, “The miscreant got into a relationship with the woman who has two children from her wedlock. The stalker was forcing her to leave her family and marry him. After lodging a complaint with Sector 31 police, both the parties compromised, after which the woman asked not to register any case. Following this, a daily diary report was registered regarding the incident.”

Police said the stalker, who is a drug addict, slit his wrist with a blade on May 2, following which he was taken into preventive police custody.

“Since he is an addict, we had arrested him as a preventive measure. We didn’t receive any further complaint from the lady after both the parties landed in a compromise last week and thus could not register any case against her alleged stalker. We will immediately register a case after we receive a formal complaint from the lady,” the senior police officer added.

SSP Kanwardeep Kaur, meanwhile, said she would order an enquiry into the matter at the earliest and take lawful action.