Faridabad, May 28:Within hours of arrest of five policemen booked on the charge of thrashing a woman in custody, a local court released them on bail on Tuesday, raising questions on IPC sections slapped in the FIR.
The Haryana State Commission for Women has demanded a re-investigation into the matter, as it says that a “lenient” FIR helped the accused get bail.
“We have spoken to the Commissioner of Police (CP), asking him to conduct an internal inquiry and look into IPC sections added to the FIR. The FIR wasn’t strong enough. So, the accused managed to get bail within hours of the arrest,” said women’s commission member Renu Bhatia.
Two of the accused — head constables Baldev and Rohit — were nabbed on Monday night, while the other three — Special Police Officers (SPOs) Krishan, Harpal and Dinesh — were arrested on Tuesday.
The SPOs have been dismissed from service, while the head constables have been suspended.
All five were caught on video beating up a woman with a belt during interrogation after she was reportedly found with a man in a compromising position in a park. The man escaped, while the woman was detained. The video, which was secretly shot by a policeman in October 2018, did the rounds on social media on Monday. Subsequently, all five were booked on the charge of causing hurt and outraging the modesty of a woman.
Navdeep Singh Virk, ADGP (Law and Order), said the police would file the chargesheet in record time and efforts for a speedy trial. “The Faridabad CP has been directed to monitor the investigation and the trial,” read a statement issued by Virk.
Women’s panel has traced victim
- The Haryana State Commission for Women has traced the woman to a village in Hodal area and got in touch with her mother. The police, however, claim they have been unable to trace her.
- The commission has demanded explanation from the police on a few points: where was the woman let off after interrogation and where is the man who was caught with her in a park.
- “The video leads to suspicion of further assault of the woman. We will be meeting the victim soon,” said a member of the commission.
