The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of media reports that a woman, who was a victim of molestation, was torched by her tormentors after she tried to lodge a complaint but was turned away from a police station in Sitapur last Saturday.
In her recorded statement before a magistrate at the hospital, the victim with 60 per cent burns named two accused and narrated the inaction of the local police personnel.
The commission observed that the contents of media reports, if true, amounted to gross violation of human rights of the victim as the public servants appeared to have failed in executing their duty in safeguarding the victim from rowdy elements.
The NHRC felt that the victim appeared to have fallen prey to police personnel’s apathy and sheer negligence. The police personnel who, instead of doing their duty to register an FIR and take legal action against the named accused, apparently turned her away in a flippant manner. Had timely action been taken, the woman could be saved from the brutal attack by miscreants, who seemingly gathered more courage to attack her due to inaction by the police personnel.
Accordingly, the commission issued notices to the Chief Secretary and DGP calling for a detailed report including action taken against delinquent police officials. The Commission also asked the officers to apprise it of the present condition of the victim and the status of medical treatment being provided to her. The response was expected within four weeks.
On December 1, a 26-year-old woman was set ablaze by two men in order to prevent her from lodging an FIR against them over an incident of molestation in Sitapur. The victim was admitted to the district hospital with 55-60 per cent burns. A day before, on November 29, the woman, who is married, was molested by two brothers — Ramu (32) and Rajesh (28). When the victim went to lodge a complaint with the local police station, she was shooed away by cops. While she was on her way home, the molesters caught her, sprinkled kerosene on her and torched her to prevent her from pursuing the case.
The victim’s family charged that for two days, her complaint was not accepted by the police at the outpost and also at Tambore police station. Later, three cops, including Tambore station house officer (SHO) Om Prakash Saroj and outpost incharge Manoj Kumar were suspended by SP Prabhakar Chaudhary. The named accused were later arrested.