Haryana: Crime branch inspector rapes woman in lieu of helping jailed husband, NHRC takes suo motu cognisance

New Delhi: A crime branch inspector in Haryana’s Palwal has been accused of allegedly raping a woman in lieu of helping her jailed husband. The National Human Rights Commission, or NHRC, has taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and has issued a notice to the Haryana Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to report within six weeks about the “statics of last one year regarding such complaints about sexual harassment of women at workplace”.

Haryana crime branch inspector allegedly rapes woman

As per a media report, in May 2020, a woman resident of Palwal, came in contact with the inspector, who allegedly promised to help her husband, lodged in Neemka jail after a case was registered against him for attacking some people over certain dispute.

It was further alleged that the inspector took Rs 4 lakh and later another Rs 1 lakh before sexually assaulting her.

NHRC takes cognisance of media report on crime branch inspector raping a woman

In a notice, NHRC has observed that the contents of media report, if true, amount to human rights violations of the victim by a public servant.

Giving six weeks time to Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, Government of Haryana, the NHRC in its notice said that the Chief Secretary is expected to inform whether suitable directions have been issued to ensure the guidelines formulated in sexual harassment of women at workplace (prevention, prohibition, and redressal) Act, 2013, and rules are framed there by formulating internal complaint committee in public offices within the state of Haryana, including the police forces.

The Commission further said that the report must also have the statics for last one year regarding such complaints about sexual harassment of women at workplace including third party harassment by the public servant.

The NHRC has asked the Haryana DGP to submit a report mentioning the action regarding reasons for failure of the institutional mechanism with the state police for not adhering to the guidelines formulated in Viaskhas’ case as well as inability to initiate enquiry under the sexual harassment of women at workplace (prevention, prohibition, and redressal) Act, 2013.

“The report must contain the up-to-date status of the criminal case registered against the accused inspector by specifying the penal provisions invoked under various penal laws and as to whether the arrest is made, if nor, what measures have bee taken to nab the culprit,” the NHRC notice stated.

The Haryana DGP has also been asked by the NHRC to state whether any compensation has been awarded to the victim woman for “such heinous crime at the instance of a public servant”.

“Also, the report much specify the mechanism initiated by Haryana Police to deter the police personnel from perpetrating such type of horrendous crime,” NHRC said.

The human rights commission has also asked the member secretary, state legal service authority, Haryana, to send a report within eight weeks after examining the case of prolong incarceration of the husband of the victim woman in Neemka jail and to ensure that the accused be provided with “free legal aid counsel” before the jurisdictional court “so that he may be represented adequately in the case, for which he is an undertrial prisoner, if not already released on bail.”

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