Suriyanelli victim sends copies of complaint by rgstd post

Suriyanelli gangrape victim, who had filed a fresh police complaint against Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien, has now sent letters to Kottayam and Idukki SPs asking them to register her plea.
The victim along with her parents had gone to the Chingavanam police station here to file the complaint on Friday, but it was not registered by the Assistant Sub-Inspector stating that the Station House Officer (SHO) and SI were away at a meeting.
Bhadra Kumari, one of the advocates representing the victim, told PTI that since the complaint had not been registered, they had sent the copies of the complaint through registered post to the Idukki and Kottayam SPs asking them to take further proceedings to register the FIR.

"In case there is no response, we are also planning to approach the High Court," she said.
"When a person lodges a complaint it should be accepted. A crime has to be registered as per provisions of sect 154 of CrPC. It is the duty of SHO to register the crime," advocate Suresh Babu Thomas, who was the Special Public Prosecutor of the rape case in the trial court, said.
When it was pointed out that police had accepted the victim's complaint, he said that was not enough.

"Lot of petitions go to the police station. A crime has to be registered under sect 154 of CrPC. It has to be entered into the General Diary and a number is given and as and when the crime is registered, they have to start investigation," he said.

The letter could take 2-3 days to reach the police officials. On receipt of the copies, the SPs are bound to register the case and probe the crime, he stressed.
"If there is no response from their side to register the crime, the victim can move the High Court seeking a direction to police to register the crime and to treat the petition as first information statement," he said.