The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed its deep concern at the utter insensitivity of the Uttar Pradesh police in dealing with two rape victims, including a 10-year-old, and called for reports from the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP) on the incidents.
The approach of policemen to the rape victims was so horrible that one victim was put behind bars for 20 hours and the other was beaten up by a woman constable on the orders of a sub-inspector, it noted.
The Commission took suo motu cognisance of the incidents based on media reports.
In Bijnor district, a woman constable allegedly assaulted the 16-year-old at the behest of the sub-inspector of the Afzalgarh Police Station. The victim, along with her parents, had gone to the station on April 12 to lodge a complaint against two youths who had allegedly raped her the previous day.
In Bulandshahar district, it was reported that the 10-year-old Dalit — allegedly a victim of sexual assault — was taken to the Kotwali Nagar Police Station where a complaint was lodged against fellow villager Harendra. After medical examination, the girl and her mother were sent to an all-women police station, where the girl was put in the lock-up on April 7 night and released only the next day on the intervention of the Superintendent of Police after he was approached by a TV journalist.
Allegedly, the girl remained unattended.
In the Bijnor district matter, the NHRC has given four weeks time to respond to the authorities concerned and two weeks to the issue concerning Bulandshahar.
