Inquiry into police inaction in BEST case

The police have ordered an inquiry to find out why the complaint of a 19-year-old college girl, who was made to go from one police station to another to file a complaint against a BEST conductor for allegedly abusing her, was not registered.

The police have ordered an inquiry to find out why the complaint of a 19-year-old college girl, who was made to go from one police station to another to file a complaint against a BEST conductor for allegedly abusing her, was not registered.

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Deputy commissioner of police (zone 9) Pratap Dighavkar said, "I am personally investigating why the girl's complaint was not registered at the earlier police stations she approached."

The police manual states the police have to register the complaint of a victim of a crime irrespective of where the crime took place. The police can later transfer the case to the relevant police station.

The victim Gazala Shaikh had to run from Goregaon police station to Amboli police station and finally her complaint was registered at the Oshiwara police station after waiting for more than two hours.

According to the manual, the police have to file a zero FIR in case a crime has not taken place under their jurisdiction. The police station the victim has approached should take urgent steps in the case and later transfer the FIR to the relevant police station. The local police station then files a charge sheet in the matter.

But since Shaikh's exams are on, she told the police that she would go to the police station after they are over.

A friend had accompanied Shaikh on the day the incident took place, and together they will try and recollect the constables who turned them away at Oshiwara police station.