Taking cognisance of the Phillaur station house officer (SHO) allegedly subjecting the mother of a minor rape victim to inappropriate behaviour, the Punjab State Women Commission has directed Jalandhar Rural senior superintendent of police (SSP) Harvinder Singh Virk to conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter.
After an audio clip of the alleged objectionable conversation between SHO Bhushan Kumar and the woman went viral, he was immediately transferred and suspended.
Women commission chairperson Raj Lali Gill has also summoned the SHO and the victim’s family to appear before the commission on October 13. “Instead of taking action in accordance with the law in a case involving a minor rape victim, the SHO indulged in an inappropriate conversation with the victim’s mother, who recorded the entire telephonic exchange,” she said.
In the audio clip, the officer was allegedly pressuring the victim’s mother to meet him alone.
Exercising its powers under Section 12 of the Punjab State Commission for Women Act, 2001, the commission directed the SSP to assign an officer of the rank of deputy superintendent of police (DSP) to conduct a fair and impartial inquiry.
“The SSP has been instructed to take immediate action against the officer according to the law and to submit a status report to the commission regarding both the rape case and the alleged misconduct of the SHO,” it said.
{{/usCountry}}“The SSP has been instructed to take immediate action against the officer according to the law and to submit a status report to the commission regarding both the rape case and the alleged misconduct of the SHO,” it said.
{{/usCountry}}On October 5, a case was registered against an 18-year-old boy for raping the woman’s 14-year-old daughter.
However, before the FIR was lodged, the SHO allegedly resisted action against the accused.
The victim’s family alleged that she was raped by their 18-year-old neighbour, also hailing from a migrant family, on the intervening night between August 23 and 24. When they reached the Phillaur civil hospital, the doctors told them treatment could begin only after alerting the police as it was a criminal case and asked them to go to the Phillaur police station.
However, the SHO kept insisting that there was no sexual assault with the victim. Thus, no medical examination could be done, the family alleged.
The FIR was registered only after the matter was taken up by local social activists with senior officials.
SSP Harvinder Singh Virk said SHO Bhushan Kumar had been suspended and a departmental inquiry had been initiated against him.
“We will submit the action-taken report with the commission on due date, besides ensuring fair investigation in the rape case,” the SSP said.