New Delhi:
Delhi Commission of Women has sent a notice to Delhi Police seeking to know why no women personnel were at hand during a protest near the RSS office here after a video emerged in which policemen at the site can be seen purportedly assaulting demonstrators, including women.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the video of the protest on Saturday, DCW has issued the notice to the Joint Commissioner of Police (Central Range), Sunil Kumar Gautam.
“It is observed in the video that no female police personnel are present at the time of the incident and the male police personnel are beating up protesters and seem to be ‘supporting’ the men in civil clothes who are also beating up female protesters.
“The video is extremely disturbing,” DCW chief Swati Maliwal said in the notice, which seeks a detailed report about the incident.
DCW has also sought to know the names and designations of the officers who approved the police action against the protesters and reasons for non-availability of women police personnel along with a copy of all guidelines/standing orders of Delhi Police for dealing with female protesters.
“Please provide the above information to the Commission within 72 hours of receipt of this notice failing which appropriate action will be initiated under law,” DCW said.
Scores of students staged a protest near the RSS office in Jhandewalan on Saturday demanding punishment for the “culprits” behind the “institutional victimisation” of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, whose suicide has triggered nationwide outrage.
The protesters have alleged police used force to stop their march and also claimed that some students were taken to hospital due to injuries sustained during the demonstration.
