Nangloi stabbing: NHRC sends notice to Delhi Police

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 9  

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a notice on Friday to the Delhi Police Chief, Amulya Patnaik, in connection with the murder of a woman by a man despite her earlier complaining to the police about being harassed by him.

The NHRC in a statement said it had also asked its Director-General of Investigation to depute a team to conduct a fact-finding on-the-spot investigation.

“The team is directed to examine all stakeholders and to obtain necessary records, including relevant portion of the general diary of the police station,” it said.

The NHRC said it had taken suo motu cognisance of media reports that despite having lodged a complaint with the police about her harassment and blackmailing by the contractor of a shoe factory, a woman worker was stabbed to death by him in front of her house in Nangloi in North Delhi on February 6.

Accordingly, it has issued a notice to the Commissioner of Police, seeking a detailed report in four weeks.

The police authorities are also directed to provide copies of the general diary of the police station pertaining to the dates when the accused was allegedly kept for two-three days in the police lock-up, the rights panels said.

The commission has further observed that going by the contents of the media report, it appeared that the victim had “apprehended threat to her life and had approached the police authorities” but instead of taking legal action against the accused by filing an FIR, the police authorities allegedly allowed him to roam freely after giving some verbal warning.

“This act of the police might have encouraged the accused to eliminate the victim without any fear of law. Due to reckless attitude of the police authorities, the victim has been killed by the accused in spite of law enforcing agencies having prior information,” the NHRC said quoting reports.

According to the reports, carried on Friday, the accused contractor was arrested on Thursday and a case under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC was registered against him.

A police officer said the woman had resisted the advances of the accused, so he began harassing her at work, on the phone, and near her house.

The Additional DCP (Outer District Delhi) reportedly said that he came to know about this complaint now and would conduct an inquiry, if any negligence on the part of any police officer was found, action would be taken, the NHRC said.