The Magisterial enquiry ordered by the Punjab Police into a woman being thrashed by cops at Tarn Taran was rejected as “scrap paper” by the Supreme Court on Thursday which will decide next week on penalising the guilty police officers for insulting the dignity of a woman.
Since the magisterial enquiry had supported the story of the Punjab Police accusing the woman of manhandling the police personnel, the bench of Justices GS Singhvi and Kurien Joseph said, “The report is rejected. It is misleading and contains wrong facts. This report does not have the value more than a scrap of paper to be thrown in dustbin”.
The bench ordered Chandigarh police to ensure protection to the victimised woman who was openly beaten and thrashed by the police on camera after she complained against a group of persons who misbehaved with her.
Intending to send a strong signal to perpetrators of such violence against weaker sections of the society, the bench said, “We will impose heavy penalty on Punjab Police. We cant retrieve the dignity of the lady but some balm on her hurt feelings so that a message goes across to others that if you do this consequences will follow.”
The Court, which also had taken took suo moto cognizance of a similar lathi-charge by Bihar Police on woman teachers, posted the matter for Thursday when the response of the Bihar DGP and Patna SSP would be taken up.