COIMBATORE: A group of women advocates in Nilgiris district has sent a legal notice to the Inspector General (west zone) K Bhavaneeshwari demanding stringent action against police personnel who allegedly handcuffed a Pocso case victim while taking her to and from court on November 7.
The advocates - Kavitha Arunkumar, Aruna Mosin Sait, Malini Prabhakaran and Subashini - also stated that police officers in Nilgiris district had allegedly threatened the 15-year-old girl and her family after they complained to the SP P Sundaravadivel. The SP, however, has denied the allegations.
According to Malini Prabhakaran, the victim’s mother lodged a complaint with Child Line on October 6 that a 22-year-old youth had sexually abused her 15-year-old daughter. Through the child welfare committee, the girl was admitted to Annai Sathya Home. Though it was informed to the police immediately, they allegedly delayed registered the case on November 2.
The Investigation Officer (IO) was reluctant to file an FIR in favour of the suspect and he was let free without being apprehended though there was sufficient evidence. The victim was taken for medical examination by woman police and upon return, the IO called her to the police station and abused her in bad language, according to the notice.
Further, Malini said on November 7, a police constable (WPC) took the victim from the home to the magistrate court in Kotagiri to record a statement under section 164 CrPC. The constable took the girl by bus to Kotagiri from Ooty and then made her walk from the bus stand to the court in handcuffs in full public view. The girl was taken home in the same manner. When the girl asked the constable why she was handcuffed, she told her that she was doing it under the instructions given by the IO.
Malini added that the girl told her that she felt ashamed after being handcuffed. “The incident caused mental agony to the girl as she was made to walk with handcuffs in front of her friends and the public. The girl’s mother addressed the alleged harassment to the SP on November 15. After that police personnel started to threaten the family in the name of inquiry on the complaint,” Malini told TNIE.
“The girl was threatened that if she revealed the truth, she would be detained at home till she turned 18. She was forced to sign a statement allegedly prepared by police,” Malini said adding she has the girl’s video statement.
When contacted, Nilgiris SP P Sundaravadivel told TNIE that the girl was not taken with handcuffs on. “We explained the incident to the media with CCTV footage evidence. It was a false allegation against the police officers. We suspect they flared up the issue for personal reasons,” he said.
Min Balaji’s judicial custody extended
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