NCW chief slams Bihar Police for callousness in crime cases against women

Patna : National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma has slammed the Bihar Police for callous attitude in crime cases against women in the state.

Sharma was in Patna on Tuesday and she analysed 25 such cases, adding that the Investigating Officers of the cases were not aware of anything about the cases in which they are appearing.

“I came to Patna for the hearing of cases pending against women. I was shortlisted for 45 serious cases and listened to 25 of them. I was shocked to see the Investigating Officers appearing in those cases who did not know about it. They appeared before the Commission without any preparation,” the DCW chairperson said.

She added that a large number of cases like rape-cum-murder, kidnappings, dowry, murder, acid attacks are pending in Bihar for four to five years and the state police is not steadfast in cracking a majority of the cases.

“In a case of two missing girls who disappeared a year ago and the Bihar Police failed to trace them. The state police have confiscated the bedsheets of their room one year after their disappearances. Police are claiming that they have found blood stains on the bedsheets. They do not even realise that the bedsheet was washed many times. What would they get in the forensic test? I believe Bihar Police is not informed about the ‘F’ of forensic test,” Sharma said.

“Human trafficking is rampant in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar. The mother of missing girls also alleged that she had paid police personnel Rs 500 for scanning every CCTV camera. I will visit Muzaffarpur during my next visit,” the DCW Chairperson added.

“As I have a train in the night, I am leaving Patna but two teams of the NCW are staying here and they will visit several districts to know the actual development in those cases.”

“I have visited every state but the way Investigating Officers have callous attitude in Bihar, such attitude I have never seen in any other states. I observed that the cases were pending for four to five years without any probe,” she said.

“After observing many crime cases against women, I believe women are not safe here in Bihar. Twelve cases of acid attack appear every year in Bihar,” Sharma added.