A Crime Most Foul

Three decades ago, there was no concept of keeping the identity of a rape victim anonymous. Her name was in the headlines of every newspaper and her photos splashed across magazines. Let me, however, follow the norms of today and let her remain anonymous.

She was a school teacher in a small rural town. As was common, the women of the locality collected water from a public tap located within the compound of the local police station. She had left her home with her plastic pot and had not returned. The family members searched for her at all the usual places with no success. A larger search party of locals soon joined in but she was not to be found. Finally, they approached the police station and the local policemen registered an FIR and the search was intensified.

Ultimately, a human body was sighted in a nullah behind the local school. It was of the school teacher, badly battered and bruised, hardly alive. She was rushed to the sub-divisional hospital and later to a large hospital in Bangalore where she was critical for a few days. The doctors were, however able to save her life. The victim had been raped and badly injured with sharp objects. She had severe head injuries too brought about by a heavy blunt object.

The town was restive, but the news had not reached the sub-divisional authorities. The FIR was registered in the local police station and was being investigated by them.

Around midnight, the telephone at my residence rang. It was the local Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) calling from the police station of that town. The people had gathered around the police station in sizeable numbers and tempers were running high, he said. The target of their anger was the local police. The people were irate over the slow progress in the investigation of the rape case. My presence would be of great help, he said.

It was late and my driver had gone home. I, therefore, got into my personal car and sped towards the town. The drive took me 45 minutes and I reached the police station without incident way past midnight. The DySP and I quickly called the elders in the crowd and after a bit of back and forth, convinced the crowd to disperse on an assurance that I (Sub-Collector) would come back the next morning and conduct a free and fair enquiry.

I did not realize then how lucky I had been. It later came to light that a group of miscreants had gathered in the darkness to ambush any official vehicle that came that way. The intention was to create a ruckus that would focus the attention of the media and the officials of the district on this town. As I had travelled in my own car, they missed me. I am ever grateful for the divine intervention.

The next morning, I arrived with a team of Revenue officials and set up a temporary office at the local choultry, which was located a little distance away from the police station. The decision to conduct the enquiry at a neutral venue was taken since murmurs of the complicity of a few policemen were being expressed.

A strange and almost ominous whisper in my ear from a stranger put my hackles on end. “Please do not leave the premises of the choultry, whatever happens,” was the warning. The enquiry started and we were in the process of taking down statements from the family members and a few of their neighbours when a sudden commotion erupted. Before we could react, a crowd barged in and indulged in vandalism. Suddenly, I found myself bodily lifted and jostled. I was being dragged out into the mob outside when the doors of the choultry banged shut. Realizing that there was no way to escape, the crowd inside the hall calmed down. Soon enough, a team of armed policemen opened the doors and stormed in. The crowd was dispersed using force. When the situation became a bit normal, we found out that the mob had gone on a rampage, damaging our vehicles and worse, my Jeep driver, who had tried to save the vehicle, had been grievously injured by someone bashing his head in with a large stone. I still shudder, when I recall that scene. I can never thank god enough for the providential escape that day. Had some good samaritans not shut the doors of the choultry in time, what would have been my fate, is a question best left unanswered!

This, we later came to know, was the handiwork of the same group that had laid an ambush for me the previous night. They had led a mob to the police station with women in the lead. Surrounding the police station, they provoked the policemen. Ultimately the police lost restraint and used force to disperse them. That provoked the mob to go on a rampage, resulting in the wanton destruction of property and grievous injury to innocent bystanders.

The rest of the day passed in a blur- getting my injured driver to the hospital, getting the situation under control and so many other things. The Collector and the Superintendent of Police (SP) reached the spot and a magisterial enquiry under me was ordered. A strong contingent of police was stationed at the town for the next few months.

I re-commenced the enquiry and it became very obvious that we would have to interrogate the victim at the hospital to get the facts. The permission of the hospital authorities was sought and we proceeded to Bangalore. The victim had recovered enough to answer our questions. According to her, she had gone around dusk to collect water from the public tap within the police station premises, when she felt a heavy blow on the back of her head. She had then passed out and did not remember anything till she regained consciousness in the nullah where she was found the next day. No amount of persuasion could make her reveal anything else. We returned disappointed.

Back at my headquarters, I got a call from the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) of the range. He requested me to come to the local guest house, where the SP of Crime Branch CID (CBCID) was also waiting. On reaching there, I was informed that a team of Police officers from the CBCID would assist me in the enquiry. I was greatly relieved at this offer of assistance.

I got to know from them that preliminary interrogation of a sweeper woman at the police station had indicated that a few policemen of that station were involved in the rape and attempted murder of the teacher. We sped back to the hospital and on the assurance that she would be provided security, the victim unravelled the sordid details.

As she had stated earlier, she was hit by a blow to the back of her head and lost consciousness. She had however recovered sometime later and found herself locked in a storeroom. There she was raped, first by the Inspector of police and then by three policemen attached to the police station. She specifically named the accused and offered to identify them. During the assault, she was brutally beaten and even stabbed. Finally, she was carried to the nullah in a semi-conscious state and a huge stone thrown at her head. Presuming her dead, the attackers had fled.

A detailed statement was recorded and a report compiled. As public servants were involved, permission was sought from the Government to further investigate and prosecute the case. The Government ordered a magisterial enquiry to be conducted by me under the Police Standing Orders, the very next day.

That was just the beginning!

(Continued under another post titled Investigation, Prosecution, Appeal and Punishment)