Court Orders Action in IAS Officer’s Wife Rape

The Calcutta High Court has ordered action against three senior police officers for mishandling the investigation into the alleged rape of an IAS officer’s wife. Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj stated that he found “glaring negligence” in the investigating team’s conduct. He noted that the case was assigned to a male officer contrary to legal stipulations, and serious charges were downgraded to milder ones, allowing the accused to secure bail from a lower court.

The court has overturned the lower court’s decision, rejecting the accused’s bail. Additionally, it directed that the investigation be transferred to a Deputy Commissioner-level official. The incident occurred on the nights of July 14 and 15, with the victim claiming that the accused entered her home around 11:30 PM and raped her at gunpoint.

The woman alleged that she was pressured to delay filing an FIR against the accused and that minor charges were filed despite the serious nature of the crime. She further reported that the accused’s wife and son coerced her into withdrawing her complaint.

The police reportedly refused to seize CCTV footage showing the accused entering her residence. Justice Bharadwaj remarked that the FIR against the accused undermined the severity of the sexual assault allegations. He ordered a fresh investigation and mandated that action be taken against the three police officials.

The High Court directed the current investigating officer to submit all documents and the case diary to the Deputy Commissioner within three days. Following the court’s directive, the investigation has been transferred to the Women’s Police Station, and the Divisional Deputy Commissioner (DC) has been tasked with overseeing the case.

Aakhir Tak Editor-in-Chief

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