New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has forced a
constable to withdraw his plea seeking quashing of criminal
proceedings in a case of alleged molestation, saying his
behaviour was "unacceptable".
"You have misused your oficial position to assault a
woman which is not acceptable in our society... either you
withdraw your petition or I will dismiss it," Justice Ajit
Bharihoke said.
The counsel for constable Bharat Rattan promptly withdrew
the petition as the public prosecutor also opposed it saying
"it was quite unbecoming of a policeman who is supposed to
protect women."
Earlier, the policeman, facing trial at a lower court at
Rohini, said the case against him be quashed as he and the
complainant woman has entered into an out-of-court
settlement as she does not want to pursue it.
Rattan, then posted at Model Town police station, and his
accomplice had outraged the modesty of a woman, employed
with a PSU bank, on a night in January last year when she was
returning home by a rickshaw at Kingsway Camp in north Delhi.
They fled from the spot after the victim raised an alarm.
Later, an FIR was lodged at Mukherjee Nagar police station.
The accused, who was later sacked, was granted bail at
the police station itself.
However, he was reinstated in the services after the
woman agreed to settle the case.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, March 19, 2011, 18:48