The National Commission for Women on Thursday took cognisance of allegations of police excesses levelled in Rajasthan by four widows of paramilitary personnel who died in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack.
The panel’s chairperson Rekha Sharma wrote to state Director General of Police Umesh Mishra urging him to personally look into the matter and conduct an inquiry into allegations of mistreatment and assault levelled by the women against police officials.
Sharma has asked the Rajasthan Police chief to send a detailed action taken report to the commission.
The four women – Manju Jat, Madhubala, Sundari Devi and Renu Singh – have been holding protests against the Rajasthan government since last week. They have been demanding the installation of statues of the slain CRPF personnel, jobs on compassionate grounds and construction of roads in their villages, according to PTI.
On Wednesday, one of them, Manju Jat, wrote to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot alleging that the police beat her up, stripped her clothes and pricked her with a pin, IANS reported. “Unable to bear the torture by the police, I have been on an indefinite hunger strike since March 4, and the Chief Minister will be responsible if something happens to me,” she said.
Earlier this week, Governor Kalraj Mishra had written to Gehlot urging him to look into the matter. He said that the four women wrote to him seeking permission for euthanasia.
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kirodi Lal Meena has also been sitting in protest with the four women.
Gehlot, however, alleged that some BJP leaders were using the women to gain political mileage. “Some BJP leaders are disrespecting the wives of the martyrs by using them to gain political mileage,” he said. “This has never been the tradition of Rajasthan. I condemn it.”
The chief minister said that the widow of CRPF official Hemraj Meena wants a third statue of him to be installed, even though two statues have already been installed.
Gehlot added that the widow of another official, Rohitash Lamba, has been demanding a job on compassionate grounds for her husband’s brother. He said that if the government were to accept the demand, relatives of other personnel would expert pressure to seek jobs for other relatives.
The chief minister said this would deprive the children of those who died of their right to get jobs.
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