HC orders enquiry into cop who failed to file FIR on miscarriage complaint

The police officer registered an FIR only after the high court took note of the woman’s plight and summoned him

Mumbai The Bombay high court (HC) has ordered an enquiry into the conduct of an inspector attached to the Malwani police station for refusing to register an FIR on a complaint filed by a pregnant woman, who suffered miscarriage after being badly being bashed up by her husband.

The bench has directed the DCP, Zone-11 to conduct the enquiry and file a report in four weeks. (HT File)

The police officer registered an FIR only after the high court took note of the woman’s plight and summoned him.

“The conduct of the investigating officer does not appear to be bonafide. He offers no explanation for not registering the FIR till 27/06/2022 and it is very apparent that the same has been registered when the investigating officer was summoned before this court,” said the single-judge bench of justice Bharati Dangre while ordering an enquiry into the conduct of police inspector Irfan Shaikh.

The bench has directed the DCP, Zone-11 to conduct the enquiry and file a report in four weeks.

The woman’s predicament was brought to the notice of the court during the course of the hearing of anticipatory bail pleas filed by her relatives, Yasin Hamid Khan and Abdul Aziz Abdul Kadir Khan, who are booked for assaulting the woman’s husband, Saddam Shaikh, 27.

Advocate Anjali Patil, the counsel for Yasin Khan and Abdul Aziz, pointed out that during the scuffle the woman was badly bashed up by Shaikh because of which she suffered a miscarriage on April 22. The lawyer added that though the complaint was lodged in that regard the police officer did not register an offence.

Eventually, an FIR was registered on June 27, only after the high court summoned the police inspector for his explanation. Responding to court queries regarding the non-registration of the FIR immediately after the complaint was lodged, the officer said the registration of the FIR was delayed because of the time required for collecting necessary documents, medical records and recording statements of some witnesses.

HC, however, refused to accept the explanation.