SC panel raps Hisar SSP for ‘falsely’ booking Dalit girls

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, September 18

Ishwar Singh, a member of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), today rapped the district police for booking minor Dalit siblings who had visited the Senior Superintendent of Police’s office.

One of the girls, 12, complained to Singh she and her sisters had gone to meet the SSP, Satyender Gupta, on June 19 to demand action against “negligent” policemen who failed to locate her mother who went missing in May. She claimed her father, Sukhbir Kumar, had committed suicide due because of the police “failure”.

She alleged the SSP rebuked them, policewomen thrashed them and later a case was slapped against her, her sisters and other members of the family. They were booked under Sections 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 160 (punishment for committing affray), 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC on the complaint of a policewoman posted at the SP’s office.

Dalit activists Rajat Kalsan and Bajrang Intal alleged the police had tried to muzzle the voice of Dalits by slapping cases against them.

Pulling up the SSP, who was present in the meeting, Singh said how could minor girls and other members of their family attack policewoman at the SSP’s office in the presence of police force.