“If this is happening to advocates, what will happen to normal people,” the petitioner asked the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Central government, State of Uttar Pradesh and the Uttar Pradesh Police on a plea filed by a woman lawyer alleging that police officers at Noida’s Sector 126 police station illegally detained, sexually assaulted, tortured and threatened her while she was performing her professional duties [X v. Union of India & Ors.]
The matter came before a bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Justice NV Anjaria.
Senior Advocate Vikas Singh, representing the petitioner, described the incident as “a very gross case,” stating that the advocate was “sexually mauled” while the police locked the CCTV cameras.
Singh urged the Court to seize the footage immediately.
“The complainant was forced to withdraw his complaint. All this will have to be looked into. This is very very serious in Delhi,” Singh said.
Senior Advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani, also appearing for the petitioner, said,
“They seized my (victim’s) mobile and deleted all the videos. There was a threat to my life. It is traumatic. I am scared.”
[…]
The petition filed, alleges that the female advocate, was illegally detained, sexually assaulted, tortured, and threatened by police officers at Noida Sector 126 police station while assisting her client, who had sustained serious head injuries on December 3.
The petitioner was acting in her professional capacity, wearing her advocate robes and carrying her identification card.
According to the petition, her client was attacked by several people, including someone linked to a national news channel, and medical records confirmed that the client sustained multiple injuries.
When the petitioner arrived at the police station to insist that a First Information Report (FIR) be registered, two police officers, allegedly refused to register it.
She attempted to call the Police Emergency Response Service, but the police reportedly sealed the station and began beating her client, stating,
“Hum senior officer lekar aate hain.” (We are calling for senior officers.)
The petitioner claims she was detained from approximately one and a half hours the next day without an arrest memo or written grounds of detention.
During this period, male police personnel allegedly tore her advocate coat, searched her body, threatened her with a gun, and used sexualized threats, including,
“Terijaisi wakil hum raaton ko sulate hai apni tango ke niche.” (We make lawyers like you sleep under our legs at night.)
According to the plea, her mobile phone was seized, and videos were deleted and CCTV cameras in the station were disabled or removed.
Further, as per the petitioner, her client was forced to withdraw the complaint, and the petitioner was released shortly afterward though she continues to face threats of counter-FIRs.
India: Woman lawyer moves Supreme Court alleging sexual assault, illegal detention by Police
