Behind Calcutta HC asking Damayanti to monitor rape probes, a nod to her cracking of Park Street case

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A 1996 batch IPS officer, Damayanti, 51, has been known as an “upright and honest” officer. She started her career as an assistant superintendent of police (ASP) in South 24 Parganas district. She was later transferred to Kolkata Police, where she served in various positions including as the deputy commissioner (DC), North Kolkata, DC, Central Kolkata, DC, special branch, and DC, detective department.

In 2012, when Damayanti was the joint commissioner (crime) of Kolkata Police, the Park Street rape incident had occurred. Amid the spiralling outrage over it, Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee, who had taken over as the West Bengal CM for the first time in 2011, had sought to downplay the case, terming it as a “doctored incident” and a “chhotto ghotona (minor incident)”. Other Trinamool leaders had echoed similar views.

Damayanti was then investigating the Park Street rape case. But despite coming under intense political pressure, she carried on with her probe into it. She finally reported that the outrage had taken place, and went on to make the investigation public. She identified four accused in the case, all of whom were later arrested.

She was then transferred out of the city police in what was widely perceived as a fallout of her cracking the Park Street rape case. Although the state dispensation called her transfer a “routine affair”, senior IPS officers said the “upright IPS officer” had to “pay the price” for contradicting the CM and the then Kolkata police commissioner in the case.

Damayanti was shunted out and posted as the DIG (deputy inspector general of police), training, at the Police Training Institute , Barrackpore. Subsequently, she was sent to the Hills as the DIG, Darjeeling. She was later appointed as the DIG, CID, and elevated to the position of the IG (inspector general of police), administration, before being called back to the Kolkata Police.

According to police sources, besides the Park Street rape case, Damayanti has effectively handled several cases of atrocities against women during her remarkable career as an IPS officer. “When she (Damayanti) was DC, North, a lady was raped in a corporation toilet. She was traumatised and was unable to give her account. Then Damayanti counselled her with the help of a psychologist, a few days after which she was able to narrate the horror inflicted on her. Then, within three-four days, Damayanti managed to arrest the accused,” said a retired Kolkata Police officer.

Suggesting Damayanti’s name for supervising the probes into four recent rape cases, the counsel for the petitioners submitted before the high court that taking into account her past performance and her “independent way of working in earlier investigations, they have full faith that proper investigation will be done under her supervision”.

Taking note of their plea, the court said, “We are of the opinion that a responsible senior lady police officer should be appointed to supervise the investigation,” entrusting Damayanti with the task of monitoring probes into the rape cases. “If Smt. Sen has any difficulty in supervising the investigation, she will be at liberty to indicate the same to this court on the next date of hearing,” the court added.

The next date of hearing in this case in the court is slated for April 20.