HC pulls up Punjab police in Ludhiana molestation case

Chandigarh, Nov 7 (UNI) The Punjab and Haryana High Court today came down heavily on the Punjab police in context of the alleged molestation of women veterinarian protesters by the cops and observed that this kind of lawlessness could not be permitted.

''A lady has been molested who could be a daughter, a sister, a wife including that of a police officer or for that matter a mother of someone,'' the court's division bench of the acting Chief Justice Surinder Singh Nijjar and Surinder Singh Saron observed during the resumed hearing on the matter.

The matter was formally taken up by the court as Justice Hemant Gupta had taken suo moto notice of a front-page news-photo and the report on the incident published by Times of India about the incident of September 21.

A separate PIL on the same subject was also moved by the World Human Rights Protection Council (WHRPC) through its president advocate Ranjan Lakhanpal. The district police chief, Ludhiana A S Rai was present in the court during the hearing today.

The bench also expressed its indignation at the report of the Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner on the incident as the authorities concerned failed to submit the translated version in English as required under the rules. After it was read out, the bench felt it was not worth the paper it was written on and as such could not be accepted.

The bench wondered why the same had not been submitted in time for securing a translated version. During the hearing it was also remarked that the DC's report had been carried by the media. The state counsel pointed out that it had been received only this morning which explains why it was not possible to get it translated.

During the previous hearing, the bench had asked for the deputy commissioner's report to be made available before the next date of hearing i.e. November 7.

Before adjourning the hearing to November 23, the bench directed the Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner to submit the translated version of his report in the form of an affidavit. WHRPC president Ranjan Lakhanpal was also directed to submit another copy of Times of India of September 21 and the photograph and CD showing the alleged molestation at the hands of the cops.

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