'Illegal detention' of women by police: Court reserves order

A Delhi court today took serious note of the allegations leveled by three widows that they were molested and tortured by cops at a police station here after detaining them illegally during the night.
The court reserved the order for March 19 on the allegations after the legal aid counsel, appearing for the women, sought time to place on record relevant directions issued by the Supreme Court and guidelines of National Human Rights Commission on the manner in which women can be arrested and detained.
DLSA counsel Neelam Singh claimed in the court that two of the three widows were detained after being accused of selling off a girl child while the third woman was arrested in connection with a attempt to murder case.

The issue came up when the legal aid counsel apprised the court that the women were allegedly picked up by the cops last year at night and were taken to South Rohini Police Station where they were molested, sexually abused, tortured and forced to confess their guilt in different criminal cases.
The destitute women alleged that police had demanded money from their kids for releasing them.
"Lately, this court is observing rampant non compliance of these (detention of women in police lock up after sunset) statutory requirements in number of cases which is highly distressing and cannot be taken lightly or overlooked," Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau said.

The judge also pulled up the police saying, "I am sure this situation would not have arisen in case of strict vigil and regular inspections of police station lock-ups during night hours and personal supervision of cases by senior officers specially those involving custodial detention of women."
During the earlier hearing, the court was surprised on the response given by an ACP who had "arrogantly retorted" that "there is nothing in the Indian law which prevents a lady from being detained in the police station after her arrest during the night hours".
"This remark of ACP Shiv Dayal has left this court shocked as it reflects the ignorance and insensitive mind-set of the officials who are at the helm of affairs in the police station of the area. Is this how the Delhi Police treats the women of this country," the court had asked.