HC notice to Centre, Delhi police on rape victim's plea

The Delhi High Court Wednesday issued notice to the central government and city police on the plea of a woman, who has accused a Delhi Police official of raping her and videographing it after a promise of marriage.

Justice Veena Birbal asked Delhi Police to file a status report on the issue and posted the matter for March 12. The court also issued notice to the Station House Officer of Ambedkar Nagar and Assistant Commissioner of Police of Southeast.

"Issue notice to all respondents. Let status report be filed by the police before next date of hearing," the court said.

A trial court Feb 9 this year ordered a first information report be registered against Varun Kumar, a sub inspector at Ambedkar Nagar police station in Delhi, on charges of raping and criminally intimidating the woman.

During the hearing, advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal appearing for the woman told the court that instead of investigating the FIR independently and without any bias, Delhi Police officials are pressurizing her to compromise with the sub inspector.

Instead of protecting her rights, Delhi Police are supporting the unethical, and illegal misdeeds of the accused, he said.

Filing the plea, the victim alleged that Assistant Commissioner of Police (Southeast) J.S. Malik and Ambedkar Nagar police station chief Abhay Yadav are making every possible effort to protect Kumar, and making calls to her to compromise.

"The petitioner (victim) has recorded the mobile calls made by Abhay Yadav to her where the SHO said that he is personally interested in the present case because of the instructions of an ACP..." the plea said.

The SHO (police Station House Officer) insisted various times that the woman should compromise with Kumar and also offered her Rs.10 lakh as inducement, the petition said.

Saying she has no hope of having a "free, fair and independent investigation" by Delhi Police, the woman pleaded to the court to transfer her case to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The plea also sought direction to the police commissioner and the home ministry to initiate the criminal proceedings against the ACP and the SHO.

In her complaint before the metropolitan magistrate, the woman alleged that she met Kumar about three years back and the two became friendly. She said on the promise of marrying her, the police official established a physical relationship with her, forcibly and despite her objection.

She said Kumar made a video clip of their relationship on a mobile phone. He threatened to show the recording to her family if she tried to force him into marriage.