Godhra CJM orders inquiry into police atrocity against women

The court in the Panchmahal district further observed that when the women were assaulted in custody,there was no woman constable or a lady officer present,and hence an inquiry under the CrPC section 202 was required.

The eight women,Farida Chimaji (28),Salma Chimaji (19),Sara Chimaji (35),Hafsabibi Chitaman (27),Rukhsana Badam (30),Nasimbano Chimaji (22),Shabirabibi Hayat (40) and Rahimabibi Badam (36) were booked for rioting,illegal assembly,causing hurt to public servant,resisting arrest and obstructing arrest of another person.

The women today alleged here that they were being targeted by the police as they belonged to the minority community.

Social activist Teesta Setalvad of an NGO,Citizen for Justice and Peace,said that this type of police atrocities on minority community was common in Godhra.

Setalvad’s NGO brought the women to Ahmedabad to narrate their version.

Rukhsana Badam,one of the women who suffered at the hands of the police said that on December 19 the police had come to Hathila plot,where they lived,after one Saud Badam accused in a cow slaughter case escaped from their custody.

“They came into our house at 0100 hrs in the night and started beating us. They also molested me and other women in the neighbourhood,” Rukhsana said.

Shabirabibi’s daughter,Amina,who had delivered a baby couple of weeks prior to the incident,said that the police did not even spare her 19-day-old baby who was also hurt in the leg.

“They thrashed my mother and when I tried to stop them they hit me also. They even molested me and my mother and threatened that they would rape us,” Amina said.

Another victim of the alleged police atrocity,Hafsabibi said that the police destroyed their house and looted over 50 gm of gold and cash.

The women have alleged that Godhra town ‘B’ division police inspector A V Parmar,constables Suresh,Prabhatsinh and Parvatsinh were the key persons behind the atrocities.