Police constable molestation case: HC refuses to quash FIR

Taking a stern view against increasing number of crime against women in the capital, the Delhi High Court Monday refused to quash an FIR filed against three youths for molesting a police constable.

The three youths and woman constable had come to the court seeking quashing of FIR saying they have amicably settled the issue.

Justice Pratibha Rani declined to take the issue lightly taking into consideration another incident - the daylight molestation of two sisters in a state roadways bus in Rohtak of neighbouring Haryana, which came out Sunday.

The judge said it is a serious crime and should be strictly dealt with, and the court is not in favour of quashing the FIR in such a crime.

The allegations leveled against the youths are serious which are heard daily and so they can't be freed easily after committing such crime, the court said.

After the court's indication that it will not quash the FIR, the accused withdrew the case.

While returning home from work in west Delhi's Mayapuri area around 10 p.m., the woman was chased by three youths who, apart from passing derogatory and lewd remarks, advanced and caught hold of her hands.

After the woman resisted and shouted that she was a police officer, the three youths - in their early 20s - ran away. She then registered an FIR against the trio, who turned out to be from the same neighbourhood where she stayed.

Later, on the intervention of some people, she agreed to retract her complaint. The matter could well have been hushed up and ended there, but it reached the Delhi High Court.

Justice Rani had expressed shock that not only civilians but even Delhi Police officers were not safe from being sexually harassed in the capital.

She had slammed the youths for "disrespecting women", asking: "If a woman police officer can't walk on the street what will happen to common girls?"

A recent Delhi Police report submitted to the high court had pointed towards a 16 percent rise in cases of crime against women in the capital.

Despite the furore in the wake of the Dec 16, 2012, gang-rape, there has been a record 35 percent rise, with 1,794 rapes being reported so far this year against 1,330 last year.

Police statistics also show that the number of molestation and harassment cases have increased as well. Delhi recorded over 3,450 cases of molestation and 1,024 cases of harassment this year against 2,544 and 793 cases last year.