Rohtak court orders FIR against 4 cops

The Court of Judicial Magistrate First Class Ravleen Kaur has directed the SHO, Kalanaur police station, to register an FIR against four police officials—two inspectors and two head constables—for allegedly violating legal procedures while handling investigation of an FIR registered on a woman’s complaint.

The court issued the order on an application filed by Isha Khanna of Lahli village, who alleged that on October 29, 2021, Vijay, a retired cop, and several others forcibly entered her home and assaulted her mother following a property dispute.

“However, despite filing a timely complaint, no immediate FIR was registered on her complaint. Instead, the police registered an FIR against Isha and her parents on Vijay's complaint. Then, she approached senior cops and a FIR was registered, but the police prepared a cancellation report after she was called to the police station for investigation,” said NK Singhal, her counsel.

He further claimed that “Calling a woman in the police station amounts to disobeying the clear direction of the law under section 160 CrPC, which prohibits the official requiring the attendance of a woman at the police station for the purpose of investigation of any offence. Thus, such an act of the police officials squarely falls under Sections 166 and 166A of the IPC.”

Inspector Sulender, SHO, Kalanaur police station, said he had received the court’s order but the FIR was yet to be lodged.