Mumbai: The Bombay High Court today told the
police to treat women who approach them with complaints with
respect.
"Treat women who come to the police station with
respect," the High Court told police officers attached to
suburban Malad police station while dealing with a petition
filed by Rekha (name changed) seeking police protection.
The division bench of Justices Ranjana Desai and Mrudula
Bhatkar had earlier sought details of deployment of lady
police officers in the city during the hearing of this case.
The petitioner alleged that a person named Rajesh Rajput
had kept her in his custody and forced her into flesh trade.
When she escaped from the clutches of her pimp and rushed to
Malad station to lodge complaint, police only registered minor
offences against the accused such as trespass and assault.
When the matter landed in the High Court, judges were
surprised to hear that Malad police station has no lady
police. The Court wanted information from police commissioner
on deployment of lady police personnel.
Public prosecutor sought another week to obtain this
information. "Our prima facie impression is that every police
station must have a female officer," the judges noted.
As per the petition, Rekha, who hails from West Bengal,
was sold into flesh trade when she was a minor, and ended up
with Rajput in Mumbai.
The court also sought information about Rajput's
antecedents.
-PTI
First Published: Monday, February 08, 2010, 22:35