Kolkata: A young cook-cum-caregiver appointed through a local ayah centre alleged that she was serially molested by a Kolkata Police sub-inspector inside his Kasba residence after she joined there a few days ago.The survivor claimed that the cop, presently posted with the Reserve Force (RF) after serving in the East Division, took advantage of the absence of other family members inside the house to carry out his “criminal intentions”.
The incident, though, took an even more serious turn after DCP (Jadavpur-South Suburban) Bidisha Kalita consulted her seniors at Lalbazar and ordered an inquiry into whether the email complaint, which the woman had reportedly mailed as early as Jan 6, was deliberately hushed up, given that even senior officers from the level of OC were not able to trace any copy of the complaint in their records until Saturday morning.“We decided to initiate departmental action against the investigating officer. A theft case against the survivor was initiated. Similarly, a case of molestation was initiated against the SI. The IO reasoned that the theft complaint was received on Jan 6 by 6 pm. But the molestation complaint was received at night. Hence, he treated the molestation complaint as intentional and mala fide in nature. However, according to SOP, any complaint by a woman has to be treated seriously. Hence, we are seeking departmental action against the IO,” said a senior officer at Lalbazar.The sub-inspector’s wife, meanwhile, claimed the charges were fabricated, as the caregiver herself stole from the house before leaving the job. Incidentally, the complaint letter circulated in the media does not have any police receipt or stamp on it.The woman is a resident of the Sonarpur police station area. She got a job as a cook at the house of a Kolkata Police officer in the Kasba police station area through a maid centre. Accordingly, she went to work there. It was during this work that she caught the unwanted attention of the officer.The young woman alleged that after the other family members left, the accused officer came from behind and embraced her, attempting to violate her dignity. She protested against this and, in response, she was accused of theft. Additionally, she alleged that she was forced to write something on a blank piece of paper.She stated in the plaint, “I completed cooking between 10.30 am and 10.45 am inside the kitchen on Jan 1, and I was cleaning the room when he came from behind and embraced me, trying to violate my dignity. I pushed him away, and he threatened me, saying he would deal with me. Then he placed a packet of biscuits and some items in a trash bag and accused me of theft. I called the centre head, who came, and I was made to write that I would never steal again. The next day, his daughter-in-law accused me of stealing gold from the house. This is a complete lie.” The charges against cops led to a stir and panic in the area. There is demand for a thorough probe. No statement was received from the accused officer yet.
