Cops apathetic to victims: Women’s panel

BULANDSHAHR/LUCKNOW: A team from the National Commission for Women that arrived at Bulandshahr on Sunday afternoon alleged that the police were apathetic towards

BULANDSHAHR/LUCKNOW: A team from the National Commission for Women that arrived at Bulandshahr on Sunday afternoon alleged that the police were apathetic towards the victim’s family.

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Panel member Rekha Sharma and her two colleagues said Uttar Pradesh director general of police (DGP) Javeed Ahmed was busy taking the guard of honour when he reached the Bulandhshar police line to enquire into the incident.

“We met all the members of the victim family alone. They told us that police emergency number 100 was not picked up when they dialled after the robbers left them in the fields near Dostpur village,” said Sharma.

Sharma said the teenager was in pain and hadn’t eaten for long when she met her. “We offered her food and gave her a shawl to cover herself as she had fever and was under trauma. The UP Police did not send any psychological counsellors to help out the two victims. The Commission will also send counsellors to help out the victims. But police did not …pay proper attention. Even the action was initiated only at around 5.30am on July 30 when senior superintendent of police arrived at the police station,” said Sharma.

NCW team members said the state government officials handed over two cheques of Rs 50,000 each to the victims.

However, DGP Ahmed said the victim’s family met the NCW team in his presence and did not raise any objection over the treatment.

“Even I did not observe any guard of honour when I got off the chopper. I walked straight to office to meet the family. Police immediately swung into action after information,” the DGP said.

UP WOMEN’S PANEL CHIEF HEADS TO BULANDSHAHR

Meanwhile Uttar Pradesh Women’ s Commission chairperson Zarina Usmani leading a team left Lucknow for Bulandshar to meet the rape victims.

Usmani said, “The family has moved to Noida from where they hail, but the police are bringing the girl to the police station for investigations… We will meet the girl and join her in her fight for justice.”

“The incident is alarming and raises a question on the safety on highways. The commission will issue a notice to the police to give regular updates about the proceedings in the case and speed up the investigations,” said Usmani. A member of the Commission from Ghaziabad too will join Usmani in Bulandshahr.

(With inputs from HTC)