The state government on Wednesday informed the Bombay High Court that a departmental inquiry has been initiated against six police officers,including a senior police inspector,an assistant police inspector and a police inspector for alleged dereliction of duty in an assault case involving a Scheduled Caste woman and her daughters . The court was also told that five of the accused had been transferred. The court observed,this is failure of duty in the highest order and stringent action should be taken if the officials are found guilty. An alleged assault on a the woman and her daughters in Koparkhairane,Navi Mumbai,and a threat to their advocates life had come under the Bombay High Court scanner. There is always attempt to cover up your own people, the court said. Complainant Mangal Jadhav (43) had alleged that her house was attacked by 40-50 people on May 5,2009. According to her,they abused,assaulted,disrobed and molested the women in her house,and stole their possessions. Following the incident,her daughter Soujanya (27) attempted suicide on June 27,2009,and succumbed after 12 days. Jadhav has moved the court contending police inaction against the culprits owing to political pressure. In her petition,she has mentioned that Suresh alias Daji Sanas,brother-in-law of Nationalist Congress Partys (NCP) sitting corporator Rupali Sanas is one of the main accused. Jadhavs advocate Rajesh Bindra had told the court that a senior officer had written a report stating the role of police officers behind the attack on Jadhavs house. The court had asked whether the report has been given to the commissioner and the officers have been exonerated. Additional Public Prosecutor Usha Kejriwal today said the inquiry is on and of the eight accused six have been granted bail on a bond of Rs 3 lakh each. The Division Bench of Justice Ranjana Desai and Justice Mridula Bhatkar expressed unhappiness with the fact that the police had registered an FIR only after two months after the incident. Bindra also argued that the suicide of the girl was connected with the case and the police have not investigated that angle. Kejriwal,however,countered that till date the petitioners have not filed a complaint alleging the same. The HC directed the police commissioner of Navi Mumbai to appoint an officer to look into the issue and directed the petitioner to lodge a complaint in the suicide matter. The petition has been disposed of.
