Guj:Domestic servant accuses police of custodial rape, torture

Gujarat High Court today directed the state Director General of Police to provide security to a domestic servant couple, who were allegedly tortured while confined illegally in police custody.
According to a petition filed by a 32-year-old woman, she and her husband were kept in illegal police custody for 48 hours by Gandhinagar Sector-6 police. They were tortured and she was also sexually assaulted.
Justice A J Desai ordered that the couple be provided with medical treatment, while issuing notices to all the respondents.
The petitioner has sought probe by an independent agency.
The judge issued notices to Gujarat Home secretary, DGP, DSP Gandhinagar and Police Inspector of Sector-6 Gandhinagar police station. The DGP was also asked to submit a detailed medical report to the court by September 18.

According to petitioner's lawyer Jeet Bhatt, the couple was taken to the police station on September 7 on the suspicion of having stolen some jewellery from the house where they worked.

"We were tortured physically and mentally and sexually exploited in all possible manner while keeping us in illegal confinement. The police officers wanted us to confess to the commission of theft," the petition says.
Police never received any written complaint against the couple, and no FIR was ever filed, advocate Bhatt said.
The petition names a Police Sub Inspector attached to the police station as the one who sexually assaulted the woman, and demands compensation of Rs 5 lakh each for both husband and wife for the violation of their fundamental rights.