An FIR has been registered against a magistrate in Hindaun city in Rajasthan’s Karauli district for allegedly asking a Dalit gang rape survivor to remove her clothes in a closed room under the pretext of examining her injuries. A first-information report has been registered against him at the Kotwali police station. A case has been registered under various sections of the IPC and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the accused, who has not been named in the FIR.
According to the authorities, the 18-year-old survivor was gang-raped on March 19, after which the family went to court, and a case was submitted at the Hindaun Sadar police station on March 27, following the court’s directions. On March 30th, she was brought by the police for a medical examination and before the magistrate to record her statement under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) 164.
“After recording my statement, the magistrate asked me to take off my clothes,” stated the complaint. It further added that the magistrate asked, “I want to see the injury marks on your body,” to which she replied, “You are a man. I would have shown up if there was a female magistrate instead.” However, he insisted, “I want to see the injury marks on your body.” Police officers and members of the victim’s family were reportedly instructed to wait outside the room by the magistrate.
An investigation has been ordered by the Rajasthan High Court. The Deputy Superintendent of the Karauli ST-SC cell, Mina Meena, has taken over the probe. He noted, “She refused to strip, and after recording the statement in court on March 30, she registered a complaint against the magistrate. The case was registered with the Kotwali Police Station under charges of outraging modesty.”
“The investigation is ongoing, and the survivor’s statement under Section 164 of the CrPC will be recorded before further action is taken,” the senior police officer said.
