The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government over the suicide of a woman in Bareilly due to alleged delay in police action on her attempt-to-rape complaint.
Taking suo motu cognizance, the human rights body issued notices to the state police chief and chief secretary, calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks.
The 19-year-old woman was found hanging from the ceiling of her house on Monday, with her family claiming that she was upset over the delay by police in acting against two men she had accused of trying to rape her.
"It is unfortunate that the public servants, instead of taking timely action on her complaint, tried to delay the proceedings, forcing the woman into frustration and mental agony due to which she took an extreme step of ending her life by hanging herself," the NHRC said.
"If timely action had been taken by the police authorities to arrest the accused, a precious human life could have been saved," it said.
According to the teenager's family members, the accused attempted to rape her on September 11, following which she informed the police, but her application was "thrown away". The complaint was registered only after she met senior officials.
The NHRC has also inquired about the present status of the investigation of the case and whether any relief has been provided to the kin of the deceased.
The two people accused of the rape attempt have been arrested and two others also nabbed for passing certain comments at the woman.
The Bareilly senior superintendent of police had suspended the sub-inspector concerned. An FIR has been registered and orders have been issued for a thorough probe.
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