Chandigarh, 04.01.22-The slogan of Chandigarh Police is 'We care for you' but only the citizens of the city know how true it is at the ground level. Dr. Renu Bala, a talented female teacher working in a reputed college, called the Chandigarh Police for help when domestic violence took place, but the opposite happened to her. The police who were called for help, instead of registering a complaint of dowry and domestic violence, started beating & dragging Dr. Renu. In a press conference at Chandigarh Press Club on Monday, Dr. Renu Bala narrated the story of the torture that happened to her. On this occasion, Ruby Gupta, President of Voice for Women, Senior Member of National Human Rights Chandigarh, R. K. Sharma, Founder and Social Activist of Public View and Media Research Rajiv Jindal and Dr. Madhu Sharma, President Chandigarh District Council of PCCTU & Dr. Neela Pawar Secretary, Senators Panjab University Dr. Shaminder Singh and Dr. Jagdish Mehta were also present to support Dr. Renu Bala.
The case is of March 14, 2021, when she had reached with her mother to settle the marital dispute and collect her belongings on the call of her in-laws through a mediator. Dr Renu Bala told that her mother-in-law Sunil Kumari, father-in-law Sunil Kumar and Sister-in-law Anjali started harassing her mother. As soon as everyone came together to attack Dr. Renu, she called the police to save her life and also called the 181 helpline. For some time, the whole family was counseled separately, but after a few hours the police asked the officer who arrived from the 181 helpline to go back. After leaving the helpline, suddenly her husband Amandeep and in-laws started beating and dragging her mercilessly. The police personnels kept watching all this and instead of fulfilling their responsibility to stop them, the police personnels also started beating and dragging Dr Renu brutally. Now the reason why this happened is Dr. Renu Bala's father-in-law. Her father-in-law Sunil Kumar himself is an ASI in the Chandigarh police who is currently working in Sector-22 police station.
She further said that after Dr. Renu refused to withdraw the complaint, all the policemen together started beating Dr. Renu. In the evening of that day, Dr. Renu's brother was called by her father-in-law through Dr. Renu's cousin. When her brother started clicking videos and photos of the assault by her husband, in-laws and the police, the police threw him out of the house. After this, her brother again called 100 number and called the police that her in-laws are beating up my sister along with the police, then the police on the contrary picked up her own brother and locked him in the police station.
Dr. Renu informed that around 10 o'clock in the night, Dr. Renu was forcibly dragged by male and female police personnels and thrown into the police van, during which her clothes got torn. After this, she was punched brutally and continuously in the right eye in the police van, due to which her eye got damaged, which is still undergoing treatment at PGI. Dr Renu Bala was treated inhumanely by the police. Around 10:30 pm, Dr Renu Bala was taken to the Industrial Area Police Station where she was again beaten up. When Dr. Renu Bala said that her medical should be done, her father-in-law Sunil Kumar and the police personnels threatened her that we will implicate you in a false case. Around 1 to 1:30 pm, she was taken to Manimajra Hospital where the doctor clearly said that she should be taken to the Government Hospital in Sector-32. Even after that the police did not take her to 32 hospital. The next day, on March 15, Dr. Renu Bala was presented before the judge after making a false case.
Dr Renu Bala said that she was taken in front of the judge without slippers and seeing her condition and injuries, the judge understood that she did not do anything rather she was beaten up in custody. The judge ordered the police to take action against the police personnel responsible for the assault in custody and also asked to get Dr. Renu's medical done, even then the policemen took her to Manimajra Hospital on their own free will.
It has been more than 9 months since this order but no action has been taken. Dr. Renu Bala gave her complaints to DGP Chandigarh, SSP Chandigarh, Governor, Home Secretary, National Women's Commission, National Human Rights and PMO. Along with this, Additional Solicitor of India Satya Pal Jain and Teachers Union have also given their representations. Police were ordered to act by everyone but till now the police did not do anything. Neither any action was taken against Dr Renu Bala's husband and in-laws nor the police personnels responsible for her condition.
Dr. Renu's husband Amandeep accused her for being responsible for his job termination while he used to do a private job from where he was fired due to other reasons.
Finally Dr. Renu Bala reached the High Court and the High Court had asked the DGP Chandigarh to act on the representation within 3 weeks. 14 days have passed since this order of the High Court but nothing has been done satisfactorily by the DGP. The police department is not taking any action in the case to save her father-in-law ASI Sunil Kumar.
Dr. Renu demands that her IO Sundari be changed because Dr. Renu has been complaining against Sundari for 9 months and everytime IO sundari is appointed as investigating officer in Dr. Renu's case. Dr. Renu has also demanded that the constable Shiv Kumar, who dragged her, should be immediately suspended and all the men and women Police officers, including that time SHO of Industrial Area Police Station Harminder Singh, SI Sundari, constable Pragati, constable Kavita, Constable Sachin, ASI Karan and others responsible should get severe punishment.
Along with this, Dr. Renu has said that she has danger of life from her in-laws and the police. She wants justice to be done by conducting a fair investigation in her case and strict action should be taken against her husband Amandeep, father-in-law ASI Sunil Kumar, mother-in-law Sunil Kumari and Sister-in-law Anjali. Dr. Renu has said that I have full faith in the court and I want a judicial inquiry into my case.