The Delhi High Court on Thursday slammed the police for its failure to protect people from honour killings in the national capital, saying that they “connive” with the families for money.
“You can search the entire city if a dog of your boss is lost but you can’t provide protection to the people. This is what you are. What to talk about humanity when you don’t have shame,” the court said.
The observation was made in an apparent reference to an incident involving a Delhi police Commissioner’s dog which had gone missing on March 30, 2008 and police personnel made massive hunt to trace the 12-year-old canine.
Vacation judge Justice S.N. Dhingra also came down heavily on the police also for converting matters relating to girl’s elopement into rape cases to send the boy behind the bars.
“Its unfortunate that elopement cases are converted into rape cases. Your police is party in all cases of honour killings. You connive with parents and turn your face the other side. You send boys behind bars on rape charges and allow the parents to kill their daughter,” the court said.
“How can you be so insensitive for a few bucks? In case of elopement, you register the case under section 376 (rape) of Indian Penal Code. You do not register case or take action where you should have done,” Justice Dhingra said.
The very manner in which the police sent the men for marrying their loved ones to jails also came in for sharp criticism by the court which said “you are turning normal citizens to criminals.”
The court passed the observation when Delhi High Court Legal Services Aid Authority pointed out a recent case in which a man was sent to jail for eloping with a girl on a complaint by her parents alleging she has been raped.
Kiran Singh, the advocate, appearing for the Authority, said that the condition of the girl who is pregnant is pathetic as her parents had deserted her and the youth she wants to marry is in jail.
Mr. Singh also informed the court that the girl is required to be protected as she is fearful of being killed by her parents if they come to know about the pregnancy.
The Court after hearing the arguments pulled up the police for its role in the case and directed it to produce the youth before it to decide the fate of the couple.
