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New Delhi : The National Human Rights Commission ( NHRC), India, in a case of disappearance of a woman and subsequent recovery of her body in District Mahendergarh, Haryana, has found that police did not act professionally to pursue the FIR in the matter and interrogate the accused. Accordingly, it has issued a notice to the Government of Haryana, through its Chief Secretary, to show cause why Rs 3 lakh should not be recommended to be paid to the next of kin of the victim woman. The State Government has been given six weeks to respond.
In addition to this, the Director General of Police, Haryana, has been directed to submit an up-to-date investigation report within four weeks in FIR No. 21 dated January 23, 2020, u/s 346/365/376/D/306 IPC, PS Nangal Chaudhary, Dist. Mahendergarh, which is being investigated by the State Crime Branch.
The Commission had registered the case on the basis of a complaint by the victim’s husband that his wife had gone missing on January 22, 2020, and one of his friends had also disappeared on the same day. An FIR was registered with Nangal Choudhary Police Station, Dist. Mahendergarh, Haryana, but police did not take interest to trace the woman despite the regular follow up by the complainant. Later on, his wife’s body was found in mysterious circumstances on January 31, 2020. The complainant had also alleged that the enquiry into the matter was being influenced under political pressure. The Commission, while issuing notice to DGP, Haryana calling for reports, had also directed its DG (Investigation) to submit an enquiry report, according to an NHRC release.
The enquiry report of DG (Investigation), NHRC, dated October 29, 2020, stated that on the basis of available documents and spot enquiry, it appeared that police did not act professionally in the matter; neither it interrogated the alleged accused nor collected the CCTV footage of the cameras installed at the village. The statement of crucial witnesses and witnesses were not recorded. The statement of the alleged prime accused was recorded much later after the recovery of the body of the victim. Police, on their own, have altered the charges from 302/376D/365 IPC to 306 IPC despite the fact that victim’s nail had some skin, which was sent for DNA testing and report was still awaited, the report said. Further the charges of 306 IPC were leveled against the suspect. Hence, the negligent act of the police led to dilution of scientific evidence and delays in taking timely action complicates the case and raise suspicion in the mind of the complainant, the report added.
Therefore the Commission directed the DGP, Haryana, to take action against the erring police officials of PS Nangal Chaudhary, Dist. Mahendergarh. He was further directed to transfer the investigation of the case to the Crime Branch, CID, of the State under the close supervision of a Senior ADG level officer following which, the show cause notices were also issued to police officials concerned by the police authority concerned. Further investigation is continuing in the matter by the CB-CID.