Deoria/New Delhi, Mar 22: The additional SP of Deoria district in UP, Keshav Chandra Goswami has caused outrage across India after he questioned a rape victim's relative about the victim's children and then quipped: “Itni puraani aurat se kaun balatkar karega? (who will rape an old woman?)
The SP of Deoria Umesh Srivastava told India TV on phone that he has sought an explanation from his subordinate for this “insensitive remark”.
“I will take cognizance of this and take action. I have asked him to explain in what circumstances he made this remark”, said the SP.
India TV telecast the question-answer session between the Additional SP and the victim's relative, which went thus:
Goswami: “Unke kitne bacche hain? (How many children she has)
Relative: “Chaar (Four)”
Goswami: “Unme sabse bade bacche ki umra kya hai? (what's the age of the eldest child)”
Relative: “17-18, ji nahin 14-15 saal (17-18 years, no, it's 14-15 years)”
Goswami: “Itni puraani aurat ko kaun balatkar karega?” (who will rape such an old woman)”
The chairperson of National Women Commission Mamata Sharma condemned the Additional SP's remark, saying “it was shameful. Such an officer should be suspended immediately. If officers of the level of SP rank make such insensitive remark, what more can we expect?”
Former DGP of UP Police Bikram Singh said: “I am stunned. Such remark is really ugly and insensitive. No mercy should be shown to such an officer.”
Goswami was caught on camera humiliating a 35-year-old Dalit woman, who had approached him for lodging a rape case, saying “who would rape an elderly woman who is a mother of four”.
The Dalit gangrape victim had approached him seeking his intervention as a local police station had refused to register a case of rape, which took place on Wednesday.
“Why would anyone rape such an elderly woman?” Goswami was heard saying when the woman and her husband met him as her complaint was not registered by Bankata police in the district.
According to sources, the woman belonging to Karan Chapra was allegedly raped by one Santosh Kumar of neighbouring village on Wednesday night.
When the woman and her husband went to the Bankata police station yesterday for lodging an FIR, the police station in-charge registered a case of eve-teasing.
Dissatisfied with the Bankata police, the couple came to the ASP Thursday night to seek his intervention.
Meanwhile, the ASP, when contacted, said that in her complaint the woman had levelled charge of eve-teasing but she gave a second complaint in which she mentioned rape.
The ASP said that medical examination of the woman has not confirmed rape.
Meanwhile, Director General of UP Police, AC Sharma has offered an apology and has assured that strict action will be taken against the ASP.
IG (law and order) R K Vishkarma said in Lucknow that the DGP has sought an explanation from the ASP.
“The DGP also expressed regret over the hurt caused to the woman because of the insulting remarks,” the IG said adding that the case of the woman has been registered.
The IG said that the new officers being recruited in the police force would also be sensitised and given training in proper behaviour so that such things are not repeated.
Woman organisations of the district have condemned the police officer and demanded action against him for his “insensitivity and insulting remarks”.
