Ujjain: Duty falls flat on its face as police ignore pleas of molested woman, SP admits lapses

Ujjain: Once again, the inhumane face of police has come to the fore. A woman visitor, who arrived in Ujjain for a temple ‘darshan’ along with her child, was forcefully abducted by an anti-social element. Although she managed to escape from the running vehicle and report the incident to the police at three police stations, none of them bothered to lodge her complaint or provide her medical assistance. Instead, the police attempted to hush up the entire matter.

The 22-year-old woman, a resident of Goshala (district Ashok Nagar), had come into the city by train with her child at midnight on Sunday. When she reached the main road from the railway station, an unknown biker grabbed her and forcefully abducted her on his vehicle. The woman shouted for help and jumped from the speeding bike. On being informed, the patrolling team of Neelganga police station took her to Dewasgate police.

At Dewasgate police station, ASI Parmanand Singh and head constable Malkhan Singh shifted the woman to the Mahila Thana. On Monday morning, two police jawans of Dewasgate police station took the woman from the Mahila Thana and left her at the railway station. People saw her weeping there and informed the GRP as well, but to no avail. Finally, when senior officials were informed about the incident, the woman was sent for a medical examination at the civil hospital.

On being contacted by Free Press, SP Sachin Atulkar admitted to lapses on the part of local police. He said that the police did delay in registering the offence and conducting her medical examination. The SP has suspended ASI Parmanand Singh and head constable Malkhan Singh with immediate effect. A case under Section 354 of the IPC (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) was also registered against the unidentified person at Dewasgate station.