RANCHI
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Friday directed Latehar Police to investigate allegations that a tribal woman was brutally assaulted and subjected to degrading treatment by police personnel, including during her alleged detention at a police station. Calling the situation “unacceptable”, the Chief Minister sought immediate action and a report on the steps taken.
“Latehar Police, take immediate cognisance, investigate and take appropriate action, and inform me. This situation is unacceptable,” Soren said on X, taking cognisance of a social media post highlighting the incident.
The allegations concern Puniya Devi, a tribal woman from Heranj village in Latehar district. According to information shared by the Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha, she was grazing goats on the afternoon of October 5 when the Station House Officer (SHO) of Bariatu police station allegedly arrived with three other police personnel in plain clothes.
The organisation alleged that the police personnel brutally assaulted Puniya Devi while taking her to the police station and beat her on the way. She was also allegedly subjected to inappropriate physical contact, including the touching of her breasts.
The allegations further state that she was hung up and beaten inside the police station and subjected to caste-based abuse. She was reportedly released on the night of October 6, the day after she was taken into custody.
The circumstances that led to her detention, the reasons for taking her to the police station and the sequence of events surrounding the alleged assault have not yet been independently established.
The allegations have prompted concern among tribal organisations and social activists, who have demanded an impartial investigation and action against the police personnel allegedly involved. They have also called for registration of a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, citing the alleged caste-based abuse.
The Act provides legal safeguards against specified offences targeting members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The applicability of its provisions in this case will depend on the facts established and the relevant legal requirements.
