Calcutta HC directs senior IPS officer Damayanti Sen to supervise probe into 4 rape cases

Calcutta High Court Tuesday directed that investigation into four recent rape cases in different parts of the state will be done under the supervision of senior IPS officer Damayanti Sen, who is at present a special commissioner of Kolkata Police. Sen is reputed to be a strict officer and had solved the infamous Park Street gangrape case of February 2012.

A division bench of the HC presided by Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava said that the court is of the opinion that a responsible senior lady police officer should be appointed to supervise the probe keeping in mind the nature of incidents and allegations which have been made.

The bench, which also comprised Justice R Bharadwaj, said that if Sen has any difficulty in supervising the investigation, she is at liberty to intimate it to the court on the next date of hearing.

The incidents of rape were at Matia and Deganga in North 24 Parganas, Englishbazar in Malda district and Bansdroni in Kolkata.

The court directed Advocate General S N Mookherjee, representing the state, to file a report in the form of an affidavit in respect of the progress of investigation in all the above incidents on the next date of hearing.

Suggesting the name of Sen for supervising the probe, the counsel for the petitioners submitted that taking into account her past performance and her independent way of working in earlier investigations, they have full faith that proper investigation will be done under her supervision.

The AG said that he has no objection to the same except that she may not have sufficient time to involve herself in supervising the investigation. The court directed that the matter will be heard again on April 20.

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