Police raped, assaulted 16 women: Human rights panel notice to Chhattisgarh govt

Special Correspondent

NewsBits.in

Raipur: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has found 16 women prima facie victims of rape, sexual and physical assault by the personnel of Chhattisgarh police. The commission is still awaiting recorded statements of another 20 women to ascertain their complaints of similar assault.

The commission has issued a notice to the Government of Chhattisgarh, through its Chief Secretary, to show cause as to why it should not recommend interim monetary relief of Rs 37 lakh to these women. This includes Rs 3 lakh each to eight victims of rape, Rs 2 lakh each to six victims of sexual assault and Rs 50,000 each to two victims of physical assault.

The Commission has observed that ‘prima-facie, human rights of the victims have been grossly violated by the security personnel of the Government of Chhattisgarh for which the State Government is vicariously liable.’

The NHRC had initiated suo motu proceedings on the basis of news report published in a national daily in November 2015. It was reported that women from five villages Pegdapalli, Chinnagelur, Peddagelur, Gundam and Burgicheru had made allegations of sexual harassment.

The State Police personnel were accused of sexually harassing and assaulting more than 40 of them and having gang raped at least two in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh. It was also reported that belongings of many villagers were destroyed, stolen or scattered by the forces passing through the villages.

The Commission has directed its DIG (Investigation) to depute a team of officials from the Investigation Division and Law Division to record the statements of 15 victims whose statements were not recorded either by the NHRC Team or by the Magistrate u/s 164 CrPC and submit the same to the Commission within one month.

The Additional Director General of Police (CID), Government of Chattisgarh has also been directed to get the statements of 19 more victims u/s 164 CrPC recorded before the Magistrate and forward the same to the Commission within one month.

The officer has also been directed to ensure that SC/ST (PoA) Act is invoked in all the cases the victims belonged to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, a NHRC press release on Saturday said.