Dismissed woman cops in Bihar allege sexual harassment

Thirty-two woman constables, dismissed from service for attacking their seniors in Patna, have made serious sexual harassment charges against the DSP.

In their petition submitted to the Bihar State Women Commission, the woman cops have narrated how they were subjected to physical and mental torture while they were staying at the Police Lines.

“The DSP, who would sanction us leave, would often pass lewd comments on us. If we applied for leave, he would say ‘If you come to my cabin, you will get as many leave as you want’. On other occasions, if we asked for special leave during periods (for which we were entitled), he would ask for video footage as proof,” said one of the complainants.

Altogether 77 woman constables, out of 167 cops, have been dismissed from service after they ransacked Police Lines and attacked City SP as well as a DSP after a woman cop Savita Pathak died of dengue on November 2. The constables, mostly trainee cops, were agitated as they alleged Savita died because she could not get proper treatment since she was not sanctioned leave. The Traffic SP later denied the charge of not granting leave.

“We are ready to apologise, if we have committed a mistake. We joined as constables this August itself. We are yet to complete our training programme. We request you to intervene, get a first-hand experience of our (shabby) stay at Police Lines, and also investigate the (sexual) harassment we face every day in our life,” the constables told the chairman of State Women Commission, Dilmani Mishra.

The woman panel chief has sought a report from the Bihar DGP, KS Dwivedi, and assured the dismissed cops to look into their case sympathetically. “We have registered the complaint lodged by these dismissed cops. We have sought a report from the DGP. The women’s panel will also investigate the matter. If the charges levelled by these cops are found to be true, they will get proper justice,” said Mishra.