Forceful detention of woman, daughter at rehabilitation centre: K’taka HC slams cop for indulging in ‘moral policing’

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court (Dharwad bench) has imposed a penalty of Rs 1 lakh each on a police inspector and a rehabilitation centre for forcefully keeping a 22-year-old woman and her 3-year-old daughter at the centre for five months.

Hearing the petition filed by the woman against their forceful detention at the centre, meant for victims of human trafficking and sexual assault, the court bench headed by Justice N.S. Sanjay Gowda expressed displeasure at the policeman’s act saying it amounts to moral policing. It further observed that a police inspector can not intervene in the married life of a person.

After nearly 14 years of marriage, the petitioner had left her husband’s home along with their kid due to marital discord. Her husband had then filed a missing complaint at Malamaruthi police station.

Inspector Balasaheb Patil had then called the couple to reconcile their dispute but the woman refused the offer. Following this, the inspector sent her and the child to the rehabilitation centre against the woman’s wishes. The woman it is said was not allowed to have any contact with the outside world.

The shelter acted with an unseemly enthusiasm to comply with the illegal request of the inspector and forcibly held the woman despite her repeated requests to be released…,” the court noted while passing the verdict on December 8.

The court in its order directed the registry to deposit the penalty amount in the name of the girl while allowing the petitioner (the mother) to withdraw the interest earned on the same.