India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 19— Taking suo motu cognizance of media reports about the alleged custodial torture of three Muslim sisters in Assam’s Darrang district, both the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and National Commission for Women (NCW) on Wednesday separately issued notices to the Assam government and police and sought detailed reports within four weeks.
Three sisters aged 18, 28 and 32 were allegedly picked by police from their house around 1:30 am on September 9 in Darrang district, taken to nearest police outpost and stripped and tortured. Reportedly, the incident happened while they were being interrogated by the police in connection with a case of their brother, who had allegedly eloped with a Hindu girl.
“It is mentioned in the news report that the woman was carrying pregnancy of more than two months and due to injuries, she allegedly sustained at the police station, the pregnancy had to be terminated,” said NHRC in a press statement on Wednesday.
“The contents of the media reports, if true, raise serious issue of violation of human rights. Accordingly, notices have been issued to the Chief Secretary and the DGP, Assam calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks including medical treatment record of the victim and present status of her health condition,” said the rights panel.
“The report must speak whether prior permission of the Judicial Magistrate was taken by the police team to arrest the women victims during night of 08.09.2019. The Commission would also like to know whether any steps have been taken by the state authorities to provide any kind of relief and counseling to the victims,” NHRC said.
The Commission has also observed that apparently, as reported in the media, the police authorities have violated Section 46 (4) of the Cr.P.C. by picking up the women victims, after the sunset. The brother of the victims is reportedly wanted in a criminal case and not the victims. The police authorities had taken the victims in their custody, in an illegal manner. The reported medical condition of one of the sisters is indicative of the fact that they were tortured by the police.
Only after one of the sisters told the local media about the incident and filed a detailed complaint to the police, two cops were suspended and an enquiry was ordered into the incident.
Police Superintendent of Darrang district told India Tomorrow that two cops have been suspended and an enquiry has been ordered into the incident.
District Superintendent of Police Amrit Bhuyan said, “Sub-inspector Mahendra Sarma and a woman constable Binita Boro have been suspended and a case has been registered against them and investigation started. DSP (Headquarters) has started the investigation into case.”
Meanwhile, taking the incident seriously, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has also issued a notice to the Assam government.
“The Commission has condemned the treatment meted out to the women at the outset and has taken suo-motu cognizance of this issue. The Commission is anguished with such alleged misconduct on part of the police officials, who have ill-treated women not involved in any crime but suspected to know the whereabouts of an alleged criminal,” said NCW in a statement.
The Commission has demanded that the guilty officials “should be dealt with very strongly so that they do not repeat such an act in future.”
The Commission has “directed DGP Assam and asked him to take up the matter urgently and ensure that the miscreants are given stern punishment.”
