Jisha murder: Gehlot charges state police of shielding accused

New Delhi: Alleging laxity and irregularities in the police probe into brutal rape and murder of a Dalit woman in Kerala, Union Social Justice and Empowerment minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot Tuesday charged the state police of "shielding" the accused.

Gehlot, who recently visited Kerala and met the family of the deceased woman in Ernakulam district, said, "According to the mother of the deceased woman, they had given several complaints to police against a local MLA, alleging the latter was threatening her for the last five six months. She said the local MLA had abused her daughter in the past and called her achoot (untouchable). The mother was openly accusing the local MLA for her daughters death when I had gone to meet her.

"But then the police did not take any action. The Superintendent of Police also agreed that the deceased had given complaints but then he could not tell me why no action was being taken. It has been more than 12 days and still the accused has not been arrested. This is a matter of concern," Gehlot said.

Monday, Gehlot tabled a report in Parliament alleging "laxity and irregularities" in the police probe into the case.

"The post mortem report states that the incident happened between 1 and 4 PM but the police reached the crime spot at around 10 PM. Ideally either the District Collector or the SDM should have visited the spot immediately after the incident, but they were informed much later.

"Then the initial probe started with the charge of murder. Relevant sections of rape were added later. The post mortem report was available after four days of the incident. Evidence from the crime scene could have been lost in between. Also the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) amendment Act was added almost after four five days. So there have been serious irregularities and lacuna in the investigation," Gehlot alleged

He further said that deceased was from the SC community, and thus a senior police officer of the level of Deputy SP should have been entrusted with the investigation at the outset without waiting for the apprehension of the accused.

Considering the "severity and sensitivity" of the crime, an SIT should have been formed at the very outset, he said and questioned why an FIR in the case was not lodged by the victims mother, despite her being present at the crime scene, but by a panchayat member.