REWARI: Earlier this week, the
Haryana Police had brought in Mewat superintendent of police (SP) Nazneen Bhasin to lead the SIT to investigate the gang rape of a 19-year-old
woman in Rewari. Reason: neither
Rewari nor Mahendragarh, where she was kidnapped, has a woman cop as SP or DSP.
In fact, there are 18 sanctioned posts for DSPs in the Rewari range comprising four districts of Rewari, Palwal, Mewat and Mahendragarh, but none is occupied by a woman officer. Further, there is no woman inspector in Mahendragarh, where the FIR in the gang rape case was registered. There is a
shortage of sub-inspectors, head constables and constables, too.
Sources said the staff crunch, especially of women
cops, was exposed when the department couldn’t find any senior woman cop in Rewari or Mahendragarh to head the SIT, and was forced to rope in Bhasin. In fact, the survivor’s family had met then Rewari SP Rajesh Duggal, seeking help. Duggal, who was later shunted out for alleged delay in police action, had instructed the women’s police station to immediately register a zero FIR in the matter.
“Had there been a woman SP or DSP, the survivor would probably have been comfortable in sharing her ordeal. Also, the SIT would have been headed by a DSP-level officer, had there been a woman cop holding the post in Rewari,” said a senior cop.
Also, sources said there was only one sanctioned post for a woman inspector in Mahendragarh, that is the in-charge of the women’s police station. But, this post has been lying vacant, and a sub-inspector is handling the charge.
Shrikant Jadhav, ADGP, Haryana, said the shortage was not affecting policing. “The police assistance to women victims hasn’t been affected as yet. In this case too, the SP Rewari had taken immediate action and we have roped in a woman SP from within the range to probe the case. The vacancies will be filled up soon,” he added.
