Woman moves PHRC allegeing harassment and police inaction

Phagwara, June 24 (UNI) A woman today approached Punjab Human Rights Commission (PHRC) alleging that she and her family were being victimised and threatened by some people over her brother-in-law's elopement with a village girl.

In a press conference held here, Balbir Kaur of Dumeli village, also accused Phagwara police of inaction against those harassing her and her family members.

She alleged that despite her complaint to the police and the sarpanch of the village, neither police nor the sarpanch of Dumeli village took any action against the persons involved in beating her, her family members and tearing her clothes.

She also alleged that she was threatened of dire consequences if she did not withdraw her complaint.

The victim claimed that her brother-in-law Gulshan had fled with a woman of the village about five months ago for which one Buta Ram of the village started coming to her house demanding to know the whereabouts of the fugitives.

She alleged on June 13, Buta Ram, his sons Lucky and Johny, his neighbourer Swarup Lal and his son Raja abused and misbehaved with her and even tore her clothes when she went to Buta Ram's house to tell him about their failure to get any clue about the missing duo.

She futher alleged that though she had lodged police complaint about the harassment at the hands of Buta Ram and his family, the police did not take any action against the accused and even the DSP ignored her written complaint to him filed on June 15.

She alleged that the village sarpanch Jatinder Mohan, also threatened her with dire consequences if she did not withdraw her complaint.

After getting negative response from all these quarters, Balbir Kaur said she had now moved PHRC and had given a written complaint to DGP, Punjab, IG and DIG, Jalandhar rangea, to get justice.

On the other hand, Jatinder Mohan, sarpanch of the village, described all the allegations against him as ''baseless'' and Rawalpindi police station SHO Inderjit Singh also claimed that all the allegations against Buta Ram and the sarpanch were ''fallacious''.

UNI