New Delhi, May 26th, 2011

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report alleging that two constables, namely, Pawan Kumar and Tej Singh from Chhoti Sadri Police Station of district Pratapgarh, Rajasthan on the 15th May, 2011 had brought a woman, belonging to the pastoral Gayatri community, along with her father forcibly to the police station. The report further alleges that they took the woman to the residential quarters of the police station and committed rape on her.

According to the media report carried on the 18th May, 2011 the incident led to large scale violence in district Pratapgarh on the 16th May, 2011 with a 200 strong mob surrounding the police station as soon as the news of the alleged rape spread.

The Commission observed that the contents of the media report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights of the women in police custody at the hands of the police officials who are supposed to protect them and issued notice to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, Rajasthan Government to submit a report to the Commission giving full details of the incident, including monetary relief, if any, paid to the victim as well as the action taken against the errant police officials within four weeks.

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