The Manipur State Commission for Women has summoned an Assam Rifles jawan for allegedly detaining and roughing up a woman police officer in Tengnoupal district on Saturday. It also forwarded the IPS officer’s complaint to the National Commission for Women.
The Assam Rifles did not react officially to the allegation, but a senior officer said the paramilitary force would “follow the procedures.”
“I have sent summons to the jawan (P.K. Pandey) seeking his appearance before the Commission on or before January 27. I have also sought suggestions from the NCW and the Chief Minister,” MSCW Chairperson Meinam Binota said, adding that Mr. Singh has instructed the police to arrest the jawan.
Tengnoupal’s Superintendent of Police Vikramjit Singh said his team was trying to take all possible legal steps necessary for the case.
The incident on January 18 occurred when Ms. Anupama, posted at Yairipok, was returning from Moreh town on the India-Myanmar border along with four policemen after performing official duties.
Personnel of the 12 Assam Rifles D-Company stopped her vehicle at Khudengthabi check post following which she and a constable went to register the entry of the vehicle and show identification cards as is required.
But the accused rifleman allegedly detained them for unspecified reasons, leading to an altercation before a Major of the Assam Rifles unit brought the situation under control.
In her complaint at the nearest police station, the IPS officer accused the jawan of harassment, misbehaviour and physical assault. She also said the jawan tried to snatch her mobile phone. and complained the matter to the Assam Rifles authorities.
Assam Rifles officials said erring personnel of the paramilitary force are usually tried internally. “No member of the armed forces of the Union shall be arrested for anything done or purported to be done by him in the discharge of his official duties except after obtaining the consent of the Central government,” says Section 45 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The section further says: “The state government may, by notification, direct that the provisions of Sub-Section (1) shall apply to such class or category of the members of the force charged with the maintenance of public order as may be specified therein, wherever they may be serving, and thereupon the provisions of that Sub-Section shall apply as if for the expression ‘Central government’ occurring therein, the expression ‘state government’ were substituted.”
