The Uttar Pradesh police are in damage control mode after Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Saharanpur Range) S.K. Mathur allegedly told a person — who came to complain about his sister eloping with a youth — that had he (Mr. Mathur) been in his place he would have shot her.
Additional Director-General (Law and Order) Jagmohan Yadav said on Wednesday that an inquiry had been constituted. Home Secretary Kamal Saxena said details had been sought from the DIG.
Mr. Yadav told journalists that the DIG had denied making such a statement. “On the contrary, the DIG said he had promised to take action and the complainant returned satisfied.”
The police officer had been told that the girl, who had been allegedly kidnapped, was a major and had married the youth.
She had reportedly accused her family of launching a vendetta against her.
Mr. Yadav said if it was found that the charges against the DIG were true then action would be taken against him.
The DIG is reported to have made the comment on Tuesday, at a routine inspection of a police station, where several persons were present to air their grievances. The comment allegedly came when a person demanded action against the youth who had allegedly kidnapped his sister.
State BJP chief Laxmikant Bajpai demanded the dismissal of the DIG. He accused the police officer of insulting the aggrieved person, instead of assuring him of help.
Suspend DIG: NCW
PTI reports from New Delhi:
The National Commission for Women demanded that Mr. Mathur be suspended from service.
“I believe something like this coming from the police is wrong...I demand that the State government suspend him and then investigate why he gave such a response,” NCW chairperson Mamata Sharma said.
The DIG had been negligent, she said. “The response that he gave was cowardly...this is unfortunate. He is shying away from his responsibility.”
