Badal suspends official for questioning woman in police station

Chandigarh, Mar 16 (UNI) The Punjab government has placed under suspension a Station House Officer (SHO) for summoning a woman wanted in a theft case to the police station.

The SHO's action was a direct violation of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's order, not to summon women wanted in cases to police stations, an official release today stated.

Acting on a report in a section of the media that a maid, identified as Joginder Kaur, had been summoned to a police station in Amritsar district, the Chief Minister immediately directed SSP S S Srivastva to suspend SHO Jagjit Singh Walia.

An inquiry has been ordered into the SHO's action.

Mr Badal has once again asked all the district police chief's to ensure full implementation of the government's orders on preserving and protecting the dignity and honour of women in the state. Only lady police personnel should be involved in questioning women and that, too, at their home's and not in police stations, the Chief Minister sought to remind senior police officials of his orders issued last week.

He has directed them to convene meetings of SHO's at their respective district headquarters to ensure that no woman was subjected to humiliation and disrespect.

UNI