Woman, 11-year-old daughter ‘tortured’ by male cops in Hisar

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, February 20

A migrant woman and her 11-year-old daughter were allegedly tortured by about seven policemen of the CIA branch of Hisar on suspicion of their involvement in a theft case. The duo, accompanied by women activists, submitted a written complaint to the Hisar DSP, demanding action against the police officials who inflicted “third degree” torture on them.

WORKS AS DOMESTIC HELP

• The woman said she worked as a domestic help at a house in Sector 13.
• She said the house owner lodged a complaint of theft of jewellery to the police.
• She and her 11-yearold daughter were allegedly tortured thereafter by CIA personnel.
• The DSP will inquire into the matter and take action on the basis of the inquiry report, said a police spokesperson.

The woman said she worked as a domestic help at a house in Sector 13. She said the house owner lodged a complaint of theft of jewellery to the police. She said the house owner, Pinki, asked her on February 10 whether she had taken her jewellery on February 4. “I denied committing the theft but the same day, a male and a female police official visited our house in Prem Nagar and took me and my daughter to the Civil Lines police station in the evening. The police later let us off at 9 pm,” she said.

She alleged that the police kept chasing them and on February 18, a team of the CIA branch of the Hisar police picked her up when they were working at a house in Sector 13. She alleged that male police personnel tortured her by forcefully holding her head under water in a bathtub. She alleged that she was also thrashed by them in the presence of complainant Pinki and Pinki’s husband Sandeep Agrawal while a woman cop was sitting by. She alleged that the CIA police also picked up her daughter in the evening and tortured and thrashed her in the same way.

She alleged her husband was blind and unable to work and she was the only one in the family who worked to earn a living. The policemen then allegedly dropped them back near the house in Sector 13 from where they were picked up. She alleged that they were so tortured that they were unable to walk, so the house owner dropped them near a private hospital. Later, one of their neighbours took them to the Civil Hospital for a medical examination.

Janwadi Mahila Samiti activist Shakuntala Jakhar said the woman was admitted in the Civil Hospital and got discharged from the hospital on Monday. The medical examination of the daughter was also conducted. “We met DSP Satpal Yadav who failed to provide any satisfactory reply. We want strong action against the accused policemen,” she said.

Advocate Vikram Mittal said as per law, the police need to serve notice if they need to interrogate any suspect in any case. “The suspects were never served any notice and later tortured, which is a serious violation of the law,” he said.

Vikas Lohchab, spokesperson for the Hisar police, said DSP Satpal Yadav had received the complaint. “He will inquire into the case and take action on the basis of the inquiry report,” he said.