TMC MP writes to NHRC seeking probe into woman prisoner’s rape case

All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale on Friday wrote to the chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and chairperson of the National Commission for Women and urged them to send a fact-finding team to Rohtak to investigate the case wherein a woman prisoner was allegedly raped by two male inmates inside a police vehicle.
Highlighting the Hindustan Times report, the Rajya Sabha MP questioned the “lapses” on part of the Haryana police.
“Where were the police personnel when the gruesome incident occurred and where were the female cops who were supposed to be escorting the female prisoner. Under the BJP, even a woman prisoner inside a police van being escorted by the cops is not safe,” the Rajya Sabha MP tweeted on X (formerly Twitter).
On Thursday, Jind civil lines police had booked two inmates after a woman prisoner alleged that she was raped by the duo inside a police vehicle while being transported for a medical check-up at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) in Rohtak in February.
The Rajya Sabha MP wrote to NHRC and national commission for women and urged them to immediately register a case in this matter and send a fact-finding team to Haryana to inquire the matter.
“Issue notices to the Haryana government, asking for an explanation as how to a woman prisoner in police custody was raped by two inmates inside a van. Conduct a comprehensive review of the protocol being followed for transporting women prisoners and take immediate action, besides dismissing the cops concerned, and prosecute those involved in the incident,” he added.
The woman, who is serving a sentence in a drugs-related case, filed a complaint with the Jind Civil Lines police station, alleging that on February 20, the two inmates, identified as Manish and Satish, offered her spiked drinks inside the police vehicle when the accompanying policemen were busy preparing medical documents. She claimed that the duo then raped her.
Jind civil lines SHO Sukhbir stated that a zero FIR has been registered under rape charges and the case has been transferred to PGIMS police station for further investigation.