Woman paraded naked in Bihar: NHRC issues notice to state govt, DGP told to ensure survivor's safety

New Delhi: The NHRC has sent a notice to the Bihar government days after a woman was assaulted and paraded naked by some people in Bihiya town of Bhojpur district in the state. The National Human Rights Commission has also directed the state’s Director General of Police to ensure proper protection to the woman and her family members so that she is not threatened or subjected to any kind harassment by the miscreants. [caption id=“attachment_4271215” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] “The NHRC has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that a woman was beaten and paraded naked by some people in Bihiya village of Bhojpur district in Bihar on suspicion of her involvement in a teenager’s mysterious death,” the national human rights panel said in a statement on Thursday. The Commission observed that the incidents appear to be a “serious case” of violation of human rights, including right to life of the teenager and the right to dignity to the victim woman. Though FIRs were registered in the matter and several police personnel were placed under suspicion, the action “does not seem to be sufficient”. The Commission has issued a notice to the Bihar chief secretary, calling for a detailed report in the matter. Both the officers have been given four weeks to respond. While issuing notices, the Commission has observed that the sequence of incidents indicate towards “negligence on the part of the police authorities and the local administration”. The shameful incidence was a fallout of the violence that had rocked the main market area of Bihiya block, about 60 km from state capital Patna, after the body of 19-year-old Vimalesh Sah, who had gone missing on 19 August, was found adjacent to a railway track the next morning. Residents of Sah’s native village Damodarpur had rushed to the spot upon hearing the news and some of them suspected that those living in a red light area nearby could have strangled the youth to death, police said. The villagers set ablaze a number of shops in the market area and assaulted many local residents, police said. As the mob frenzy continued, one of them dragged the woman out on street, ripped off her clothes and paraded her naked while kicking and slapping her and hurling abuses, Bhojpur Superintendent of Police Avakash Kumar had said. Sixteen people have been arrested and eight policemen suspended in connection with the case.