Asks Capt Govt to action against Bathinda cops who failed to give justice to rape victim
Entire police set up had become politicized
Amrit Pal Brar
Bathinda, June 7 – Union food processing industries minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal today asked the Congress government to act on the National Commission for Women (NCW) findings that the Bathinda police failed to give justice to a gang rape victim, even as she thanked NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma for taking steps which led to the arrest of the accused in the case.
In a statement here, Harsimrat Badal said while the NCW had already exposed the functioning of the Bathinda police with its two member team disclosing how main accused Parminder Singh Azad had been let off post detention at the instance of a local Congress leader, the State government had failed to initiate any action against the police officers. “This is essential to restore the faith of the people in the police administration and to give a clear signal that crimes against women will not be tolerated at any cost”.
Harsimrat Badal also urged the NCW to recommend action against the police officers who had failed to perform their duties under political pressure.
While writing in this regard to the NCW Chairperson, the union minister said aggrieved parents of the gang rape victim had repeatedly approached the police for justice but the Bathinda police failed to either arrest the accused or call them for questioning.
Thanking NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma for deputing a team to make an on the spot inquiry, Harsimrat Badal said both police inaction as well as its complicity with the accused who were linked with the Congress party had come out in the open. “Arrests have also occurred only after the NCW took suo moto action in the case”, she added.
Asking for a clean-up act in the Bathinda police, Union Minister Badal said the entire police set up had become politicized and the common man was not getting any justice at the hand of the police administration. She said the manner in which the Bathinda police mishandled the complaint of the mother of the gang rape victim was itself proof of this. “The victim went missing on January 19 this year.
The police did not file a missing person report. Two months after the victim reached home it came to light that she had been sold to two women and gang raped. A case was registered on March 23 and the main accused Parminder Singh Azad was detained but let off following intervention of a local Congress leader.
The victim and her family were forced to approach me for justice during my thanksgiving tour because the police refused to act in the case. They have received partial justice only after the intervention of the NCW. It is necessary to take action against all those who misused the 18 year old girl and also against the police officers who let this occur under their watch.
Political leaders who have provided shelter to the accused and prevented the Bathinda police from doing its job should also be proceeded against as per law”, Badal added
