Women panel chief seeks SIT report, claims police shielding accused

Charging the Haryana Police of shoddy probe in the matter of sexual harassment, Renu Bhatia, Chairperson of the Women Commission, Haryana, has asked the DGP to hand over the SIT report to the commission immediately.

Talking to mediapersons in connection with the hearing of a case here this evening, she said the delay in handing over the report of the SIT — set up by the government for investigation into the alleged sexual harassment case of eight women cops in Jind — was an indication that the department was trying to protect or shield the accused as the police had neither arrested the YouTuber, who the then SP had claimed was levelling false allegations, nor the officials if the allegation was true.

Asking the DGP to hand over the probe report to the commission, she said though the police had promised to give it within 10 days, a fortnight had passed. She said while the police was expected to arrest the YouTuber if the charges were false, the delay in nabbing the real accused involved in the episode was a matter of concern.

She asked if the allegations were wrong, as claimed by the then SP, what was the reason that the YouTuber had not been arrested for tarnishing the image of the department. She said the department could not be allowed to "sacrifice" eight women cops to shield anyone.

The state government had recently transferred the Jind SP to the Railway Department. Two other officials — a DSP and an SHO — had been transferred out of the district after the commission had recommended sending the SP on leave, it is reported.

After an official appeared before the Chairperson of the commission to claim that the allegations were baseless, a three-tier investigation had been launched into the matter. Two IPS officers, including an official of ADGP rank, are also investigating the case, sources claim.

While two FIRs have been registered, the police are still looking for the YouTuber who had reportedly made a letter — written to the CM — viral in October, in which it was alleged that some female employees of the police department were being sexually exploited.