GUWAHATI: The Manipur State Commission for Women (MSCW) has sent summons to an Assam Rifles rifleman who had allegedly detained and roughed up a lady IPS officer on duty in the state’s Tengnoupal district on Saturday.
The MSCW was informed of the incident by the police. Subsequently, it forwarded the complaint of the IPS officer, Anupama, to the National Commission for Women (NCW) and Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
“I have sent summons to the jawan (PK Pandey) seeking his appearance before the Commission on or before January 27. I have already sent copies of the IPS officer’s complaint to the NCW as well as the CM seeking their advice and suggestions,” MSCW chairperson Meinam Binota told this newspaper.
She said she was informed by the police that they were trying to arrest the jawan as soon as possible. She said the CM informed her that he had passed instructions to the police for the jawan’s arrest.
The police said they would take all steps necessary in the case.
“We will do whatever is necessary. We will try and take all possible legal steps necessary for the case,” Tengnoupal Superintendent of Police Vikramjit Singh said.
Erring jawans of armed forces are usually tried internally. Section 45 of the CrPC says “…No member of the armed forces of the Union shall be arrested for anything done or purported to be done by him in the discharge of his official duties except after obtaining the consent of the Central government”.
It then says, “The state government may, by notification, direct that the provisions of Sub-Section (1) shall apply to such class or category of the members of the force charged with the maintenance of public order as may be specified therein, wherever they may be serving, and thereupon the provisions of that Sub-Section shall apply as if for the expression ‘Central government’ occurring therein, the expression ‘state government’ were substituted”.
The incident that day occurred when the IPS officer, posted at Yairipok, was returning from the India-Myanmar border town of Moreh along with four police escorts after performing official duties.
When her vehicle was stopped at Khudengthabi check post by the D-Company of 12 Assam Rifles, a constable, accompanying her, went out to register the entry of the vehicle and showed identification cards. However, the accused rifleman allegedly detained them for reasons not known. This led to an altercation. The situation was brought under control later by a Major of the Assam Rifles unit.
In her complaint lodged with the police, the IPS officer charged the Assam Rifles jawan with harassment, misbehaviour and physical assault. She alleged the rifleman had tried to snatch her mobile phone when she was trying to call her seniors to inform the matter. She reported the matter also to Assam Rifles authorities.