On Shraddha Walkar’s 2020 letter: Police should’ve acted promptly, say ex-cops

Bipin Bihari, a retired IPS officer, said, “Aaftab Poonawala should have been at least brought to the police station and warned. After verifying the facts of the incident, if the officer had acted promptly, then they could have even parted ways.”

Another retired police officer also said Aaftab should have been called to the police station. “If the officer had called and warned him then he would have been aware as to what will happen if anything goes wrong with the woman,” an officer said.

Though some officers said that a police station receives several applications in a day, they said that serious allegations should draw attention.

“It is the job of a policeman to go through each application and act on them depending on the nature of the allegation made in the complaint,” said a retired officer, who did not wish to be identified.

Some former officers, however, called for modification in the law for the police to act in certain cases.

Former Director General of Police Praveen Dixit said that the law needs to be modified and the police should be permitted to take action as soon as any communication is made.

He said that currently the law does not permit a police officer to take action in non-cognizable offences.

“In this case, (according to information in news) the woman did not cooperate with the police. She did not show intent to lodge a complaint,” said Dixit, adding, “In between (the complaint lodged and the closure of inquiry) she was also admitted in hospital. Had the doctor informed the police then, the investigators would have taken suo motu action.”

Explaining the process, Dixit further added that if a woman lodges a complaint of domestic violence at any police station and if she intends to pursue it then police advise her to go to a protection officer. “The protection officer is a civilian and once a complaint is lodged with them, the officer undertakes a bond from the accused who is asked not to repeat or indulge in such an act. And if he breaches that bond, then the police can take a cognizable offence. But the woman has to cooperate,” he added.

Former Mumbai Police Commissioner M N Singh, however, said that police cannot be blamed for this. “If she has withdrawn her complaint then the police cannot go and poke their nose in their relationship and other personal matters,” Singh said.