By IANS
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Friday asked the city police to file a reply by Monday on the allegation that three north-eastern girl students in the Delhi University campus were molested by some men who had appeared in the Delhi Police recruitment test.
Issuing a notice to the Delhi Police, a bench headed by Chief Justice M.K. Sarma asked the police to file an action taken report (ATR) by Monday.
Transferring the public interest suit to the bench headed by Justice T.S. Thakur, the bench told Delhi Police counsel Mukta Gupta that: “We are not impressed with the kind of action you have taken.”
When Gupta told the court that the police have taken action and a case has been filed, an angry court observed: “Are you trying to misrepresent us? Why did the police not register an FIR in the first instance despite clear guideline by the Supreme Court? Why was there so much of delay in filing the complaint?”
“You will face the consequence if you mislead the court. You have no regard for the law,” observed the court.
Anjana Jain, a Delhi University student, in a public suit alleged that the police did not take action against the culprits despite lodging a complaint.
Counsel Sugriv Dubey appearing for the student submitted that the police were reluctant to take action against the molesters as they had appeared for a job in the force.
The three north-eastern girl students alleged sexual harassment by some candidates who appeared in the police entrance examination. They said the police were extremely unhelpful.
A student (name withheld) was travelling with her mother in a rickshaw near the Civil Lines police station off the campus when the candidates pulled her down from the rickshaw and tore her clothes. Though the victim’s mother lodged a complaint, the police offered no help.
In another incident, a student from IP College was surrounded by around 15-20 men and molested. The students claim that there were more such incidents of sexual assault on university students.
According to the students, many incidents were left unreported since the victims did not file any complaints due to psychological trauma. The girls insist that the police have refused so far to file any complaint.
The students are demanding that the police entrance examination be declared null and void and that all those involved in the incidents be given suitable punishment. They have also demanded that no police examination be conducted near Delhi University colleges in future. They have called upon the DU vice-chancellor to take suitable action and asked the police commissioner to intervene in the matter at the earliest.