Birbhum Superintendent of Police (SP) Amandeep on Tuesday moved a petition in the Calcutta High Court, challenging the summons issued to him by the National Commission of Women (NCW) in a case related to alleged derogatory remarks made by TMC leader Anubrata Mondal during a phone call to a woman police officer.
The SP, in his plea, contended that the NCW was interfering in a pending investigation by directing the police to add additional sections in the case and had asked him to appear before the commission members in Delhi with the case diary.
The matter was mentioned before Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, who allowed the SP’s counsel to file the petition, which is likely to be heard on Wednesday.
The NCW had initially summoned the SP to appear before the Commission’s office in New Delhi on July 1. However, in a reply to the NCW notice on June 28, the SP requested the NCW to attend the hearing virtually, citing pressing law and order duties in his jurisdiction through the first week of July, sources said.
The NCW issued a second notice on July 2, instructing him to be present in person at the Commission’s headquarters in New Delhi on July 14 at 12 noon.
The Commission, in the letter, said the matter involved “grave allegations” and deserved the “highest level of institutional accountability and transparency”.
Informing the SP that no further extension would be granted to him, the NCW said that if the SP was unable to attend due to exceptional and documented law-and-order responsibilities, either the Additional Superintendent of Police or the SDPO of Bolpur must appear instead, “carrying all case-related documents, records, and materials previously requested by the Commission”.
Following the court allowing the SP to file the petition, NCW member Archana Majumdar on Tuesday said: “It is the mandate of the commission that if anything is happening regarding the violation of the modesty of women, or their rights, we step in.”
Expressing dissatisfaction with the action taken report filed by the SP in connection with the alleged incident,
Majumdar complained that their advice was not complied with. “The commission needs to be satisfied. So, the SP was supposed to come and give a reply in person since they had informed that there were several programmes. Since they have moved the Calcutta High Court, let the court decide now. We will act as per the court’s order.
An FIR was registered against Mondal in May this year after an audio clip in which he was allegedly heard using abusive language in a phone call with a police inspector.
He was booked under BNS sections 222 (threatening a public servant), 132 (assault or criminal force used against a public servant), 75 (sexual harassment), and 351 (criminal intimidation).
Mondal later wrote a letter apologising for his conduct, and said that he could not “imagine humiliating” any officer of “Didi’s police” — West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is also the state home minister and is in charge of the state police.