Woman “raped” in police custody

The Karnataka State Human Rights Commission has stumbled upon an instance of a married woman being allegedly raped by a cop in the police station.

Taking serious note of the crime, Commission’s Chairperson S R Nayak has written a letter to the City Police Commissioner N Achuta Rao recommending registration of a criminal complaint against the accused police constable.

The incident has come to light after the victim, who is now an undertrial prisoner at the Parappana Agrahara Central Jail, complained to the Commission.

Addressing a press conference, Nayak accused the police of detaining the victim and her husband illegally for about week at the Koramangala police station before the alleged sexual assault on her by the police constable.

“Though an accused cannot be detained for more than 24 hours in police custody, the police had kept the couple in the police station for a week. According to rules, an accused has to be produced before a judicial magistrate within 24 hours of the arrest”, Nayak said.

The Commission, which has recorded the statement of the victim, found no record of the couple’s detention in the police station. “We visited the police station, where they were lodged and found no records of their arrest of detention”, Nayak said.

During their illegal detention, the cops allegedly tortured the couple. “The accused constable tried to befriend them and even offered them good food at the police station. Later, he separated the husband and wife and allegedly raped the woman in the police station”, Nayak said.

The Commission has even enclosed the statement of the medical officer of Parappana Agrahara Central Jail with the letter addressed to the Bangalore City Police Commissioner, recommending criminal action against the accused police constable.