Questioning of rape victim by male officers unacceptable: Calcutta High Court

Kolkata: Questioning of a rape victim and that, too, a minor by male police officers is simply unacceptable, a single judge Bench of the Calcutta High Court observed on Tuesday.

The Bench of Justice Jay Sengupta made this observation while hearing a matter relating to the rape of a minor girl at Bagnan in Howrah district of West Bengal.

“Taking statements of a rape victim in front of a male Investigation Officer or Officer Incharge is not just unacceptable but is also against the rules. The charges in this particular case are quite serious. This cannot go on,” Justice Sengupta observed.

The family members of the victim informed the court that after they filed a complaint regarding the rape, the victim’s statement was recorded at the Bagnan Police Station. She was asked to narrate what happened to her in front of the Investigation Officer and the Officer Incharge, all of whom were men.

They complained that the victim, who was already in a state of shock after the incident, was even more traumatised by having to describe and relive her ordeal in front of the male officers.

The family also complained that they were receiving threatening calls ever since they had filed the complaint.

Thereafter, Justice Sengupta ordered a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP)-level probe into the matter and also directed the Bagnan police station to ensure the safety of the victim and her family.

He also directed the victim’s family members to directly approach his Bench in case they faced further problems on this count.