Woman Advocate Alleges Illegal Detention, Assault; SC Issues Notice to Preserve CCTV
Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the petitioner, described the case as extremely serious, alleging that the woman advocate was sexually assaulted and unlawfully detained
New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Friday sought responses from the Centre, the Uttar Pradesh government and other respondents on a plea filed by a woman advocate alleging illegal detention and custodial sexual assault at a police station in Noida.
A two-judge Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and N.V. Anjaria directed the Commissioner of Police, Gautam Buddha Nagar, to ensure that CCTV footage of the concerned police station for the relevant period is not deleted or destroyed and is preserved in a sealed cover.
The apex court was hearing a petition filed by the woman advocate, who alleged that she was subjected to 14 hours of illegal detention, custodial sexual assault, torture and coercion by police personnel at the Sector 126 police station in Noida late on December 3, while she was discharging her professional duty towards a client.
Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the petitioner, described the case as extremely serious, alleging that the woman advocate was sexually assaulted and unlawfully detained. “This is a very gross case happening right near Delhi. If it can happen in Noida, one can imagine the plight elsewhere,” he submitted.
The court noted that ordinarily it would not have entertained the petition under Article 32 of the Constitution and would have directed the petitioner to approach the jurisdictional High Court. However, considering the seriousness of the allegations and the claim that CCTV cameras were disabled during the incident, the Bench said it was inclined to examine the matter.
“Considering the serious allegations made and the issue relating to blocking of CCTV cameras, we are entertaining the petition. Issue notice, returnable on January 7,” the court said.
It further directed that the CCTV footage of the police station for the relevant duration be preserved in a sealed cover. The court also noted that it was already dealing with a separate matter relating to the installation and functioning of CCTV cameras in police stations in Rajasthan.
After the order was passed, Singh raised concerns over the petitioner’s safety, seeking protection. He also alleged that the complainant had been beaten and forced to withdraw her complaint, and urged the court to direct immediate seizure of CCTV cameras.
According to the plea, the petitioner was targeted for insisting on the mandatory registration of an FIR for her grievously injured client. It alleged that a government-issued pistol was placed against her neck to coerce her into revealing her mobile phone password, and that she was threatened with a fake encounter.
The petition further alleged that police officers deliberately disabled or removed CCTV systems in violation of Supreme Court directions, and that the authorities failed to register an FIR, secure evidence or act against the accused officers, who allegedly continued to threaten the petitioner with counter-cases.
The petitioner has sought directions to the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police to register an FIR against the police personnel posted at the Sector 126 police station at the time of the incident, and to transfer the investigation to a Special Investigation Team or the Central Bureau of Investigation.