Mumbai: The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Zone 7, to submit a fact-finding inquiry report regarding a case filed against Chirag Nagar Police Station. The commission has ordered the report to be presented along with a copy for the complainant before the next hearing date, February 27.
The case, filed by complainant Amita Tawade, alleges police inaction and non-registration of a complaint related to an assault on her brother, Rajesh Tawade. During the hearing, ACP Shailesh Pasalwar of the Ghatkopar Division was present and submitted a letter dated February 3, 2025, requesting an adjournment.
However, the commission noted that despite its previous order dated November 19, 2024, the respondent (DCP- Zone-7) failed to submit the required fact-finding report and CCTV footage from Chirag Nagar Police Station for the period of April 5, 2024, between 10:00 PM and midnight.
However during the arguments, ACP Pasalwar informed the commission that the CCTV footage could not be produced due to technical reasons. He also stated that the footage is only stored for six months.
The SHRC pointed out that, as per Supreme Court guidelines, police stations must preserve CCTV footage for at least one year. Additionally, well-established procedures exist in cases where CCTV systems are non-operational, as outlined in directives from the Director General of Police (DGP) and the Supreme Court ruling in Paramveer Singh Saini v. Baljit Singh.
In response to these findings, the SHRC has directed the respondent to produce fact-finding report in the form of an affidavit before the next hearing, and also explaining the delay in registering the complainant’s case. Further the respondent has also asked to clarify the reasons and actions taken against those responsible for the non-availability and non-functioning of CCTV footage from April 5, 2024.
The complainant, Amita Tawade , has approached the Ghatkoper police with her brother to file a complaint against her brother’s employers, who had allegedly assaulted him . Despite presenting medical certificates showing injuries to the head and hand, the complainant alleged that the police failed to register their complaint. Instead, her brother was arrested under Criminal charges of using criminal force and trying to outrage the modesty of the woman.
