The inspector of the Vijayanagar police station and three of his juniors are in the dock after an FIR has been registered against them for allegedly harassing a 42-year-old woman while holding her in their custody in a cheating case last year.
The woman, a resident of Vijayanagar Fourth Main, gave a representation to the city police commissioner, the deputy commissioner of police (west) and the state women’s commission regarding the incident and approached the court after she did not receive a response. The court directed the police to take up a private complaint.
Following the court’s direction, a private complaint has been registered against inspector Bharath, sub-inspector Santosh Kumar, head constable Lingaraju and woman sub-inspector Akshatha. The cops were booked for assault or use of criminal force with an intent to disrobe (354B), wrongful restraint (341), assault or criminal force on grave provocation (352), wrongful confinement (220), outraging the modesty of a woman (354) and criminal intimidation (506) of the IPC.
The woman stated in her complaint that the accused police officer summoned her and her sons to the station on June 14, 2019, around 8.15 pm. She was later arrested in a cheating case filed against her. The next day, police produced her before the court and took her into seven-day police custody for questioning. The woman alleged that the officer lied to the court on the date of her arrest.
During her custody, she said police abused, assaulted, and issued threats. They even made her sign a few blank papers. They also told her sons that they would slap her with false cases if she failed to sign papers or agree to whatever was asked of her.
The woman also alleged that police did not provide her with medical facilities which she needed at that time. Police, however, refuted the allegations saying they only followed due procedure in handling the woman.
An officer said the woman’s acquaintance, Sriram, 41, filed a cheating case against her on June 14, 2019, saying she took Rs 45 lakh by promising to sell him a site. He did not receive the money back nor the site.