HC slams Himachal Police for failing to conduct proper investigation

HimVani

Shimla (Sept 27): Himachal Pradesh High Court today slammed the state police for its failure to conduct proper and effective investigation in six cases of sexual assault on minor girls during past five years at Jwalamukhi.

The division bench comprising Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Sanjay Karol also directed the DGP to look into the matter and file a personal affidavit. The court passed these orders on the petition of a 9-year-old girl from Dareen village in Jwalamukhi, who
was allegedly sexually assaulted on March 1 the previous year. As it was brought to the notice of the court that five other such instances of sexual assault on minor girls had happened in Jwalamukhi and the cases have not been investigated since there was no complaint, the court said that it failed to understand as to what prevented the police from investigating such cases also since these were heinous in nature and required to be investigated in larger public interest.

The court also observed that the attitude on part of the doctor at Community Health Centre, Jwalamukhi, was also apparently callous and indifferent towards an ill fated child, who had undergone such a trauma. The girl was taken to CHC, Jwalamukhi, on March 1, 2010, from where she was referred to Dehra hospital and from there again to Zonal Hospital, Dharamshala, and then to Tanda Medical College. The court directed the medical officer at CHC, Jwalamukhi, on duty on 01.03.10 to be present before the court on October 11.

The court also directed the DGP and SP Kangra to provide adequate and effective protection to the petitioner and her family members and to arrange counselling for the petitioner, if required, and to see that the child is in position to pursue her studies without any difficulty.