In an unusual practice, Jammu and Kashmir Police have sought prosecution of a female nurse who had filed a complaint of sexual assault against senior officials of her department including Director of Health Services Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman.
“We have dismissed her complaint and approached Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) for criminal proceedings against her under Section 182 RPC (Ranbir Penal Code),” Sub-Divisional Police Officer of Shaheed Gunj Police Station Imran Farooq said. According to him, the police are bound by law to initiate suo motu proceedings against the complainant if it is convinced that a baseless complaint has been filed with the intention of damaging someone’s reputation.
The SDPO, however, admitted that such kind of a proactive legal or criminal action was being taken against a complainant after a long time. According to him, in over 90 per cent of the cases the parties reach a compromise and the police is not left with much ground for initiating action.
The CJM is expected to issue an order, in favour of or against the police plea, after ascertaining on the file whether the investigation had been carried out properly. It is part of the Ikhtitami ( closure) as sought by the investigating agency after failing to find merit and substance in the nurse’s complaint.
Commissioner-Secretary Health, Gazanffer Hussain, has already closed the departmental inquiry against Mr Rehman and sought “severe disciplinary action” against the nurse. On June 5, the nurse had filed a complaint of sexual assault against Mr Rehman alleging that he attempted to rape her in his office. She complained to the police that three subordinate officials of Mr Rehman had also made similar attempts on her twice in March. Police filed the FIR on July 6 and closed the investigation on Saturday.
