Senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) member Brinda Karat led a delegation to the Director General and Inspector General of Police of Karnataka on Monday, seeking justice for a Manipuri playwright, who was allegedly molested by a mob and assaulted by a policeman in Bangalore on December 5.
Emerging from the interaction with DGP L. Pachau, Ms. Karat told journalists that the senior-most police officer of the State did not have complete control over his men. She said Mr. Pachau had written to the City Commissioner of Police on December 7 seeking action against the policeman concerned.
“Today [Monday] is December 10. The DGP seems helpless. The Commissioner [of Police] is not paying heed to a memorandum submitted by the head of the State police,” she said. With the victim by her side, Ms. Karat said: “It is appalling and outrageous…a group of men, led by a police constable, brutalises a woman and nothing happens. He [the constable] has connived with the mob.”
The victim said the police refused to record her statement immediately after the incident.
Ms. Karat also flayed Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M.M. Mahadevaiah who defended the constable, expressed doubts on the veracity of the victim’s allegations and was quoted by regional TV channel as saying that it was up to the victim to prove her allegation. “The police in this city seem intent on trivialising the issue,” Ms. Karat said. She said racist overtones in the attack cannot be ruled out. “This sadistic and misogynist attack also bears the marks of racism.”
Speaking to reporters later, Mr. Pachau said: “Anybody can allege anything against anybody. The allegations have to be enquired into. The enquiry cannot be one-sided.” He also challenged the victim’s claim that her statement was not recorded by the police. He denied that there was a larger law and order problem in the State when it came to women.
