Shalteng woman says husband held by police ‘illegally’

5 Dariya News (Rouf Pampori)

Srinagar 28-Jul-2015

A woman from Srinagar outskirts on Tuesday charged police of illegally detaining her husband over a land dispute with her neighbours.Saleema Begum of Shalteng here told Srinagar based Global News Service (GNS) that the police was not releasing her husband Mohammad Yousuf Rather, who was picked up on Friday last on the “baseless” complaint of a broker, Fayaz Ahmad Bhat. She alleged that the police were demanding money for her husband’s release.“My innocent husband has been put behind the bars for no reason. It was the broker, who barged into our house on Friday, smashed window glasses and thrashed all of us, including my children,” said Saleema.

She said that broker later went to police and filed a false complaint against her family to settle personal scores. She alleged that the broker has paid a hefty bribe to the police for keeping her husband in illegal detention.”And for my husband’s release, Head Constable Ghulam Rasool was demanding 20 thousand rupees,” she alleged.“My husband had an argument with the broker over a passage of road. The broker would look for excuses to pick up a fight with my husband. And on Friday, he barged into our house and beat all,” Saleema said.“My husband is a carpenter. He works hard to feed the family. The broker has been harassing us and now he is using police,” she added.Saleema also alleged that she was abused by cops when she went to the police station for seeking report for bail.

She said from last seven days, police were denying report for getting bail of her husband. “Today, they gave us report but late in the afternoon and when we went to court, the working hours were already over and we couldn’t get the bail. We were given report only after concerned SP’s intervention,” she said. She alleged that the concerned police station didn’t entertain complaint which was filed by her over ransacking of her house.The woman has accused Head Constable, Ghulam Rasool, who was also Investigating Officer (IO) of partiality and misbehavior. “He and other cops were infuriated with us after we approached SP. The Head Constable harassed my sons and told them to report everyday to police station from 9 am to 6pm,” she alleged.

When contacted, Superintendent of Police (SP) West, Paramvir Singh denied the allegations that his men rejected the bail or abused the woman at the police station.“If court has bailed him out, we have no reason to detain him. We respect the honorable court,” Singh said.Meanwhile, after receiving complaints against the Head Constable, the SP has removed HC Ghulam Rasool as IO and nominated a Sub-Inspector for the same.The women has sought direct intervention of Director General of Police (DGP) K Rajendra into the matter and said: “Police’s work is to provide relief to people but the case with me is very different. I appeal DGP to intervene into the matter.” (GNS)