Detention of lactating mother in PS: Dhubri SP Aparna Natarajan transferred

GUWAHATI: At last, the State Government transferred Dhubri SP Aparna Natarajan to the Lachit Borphukan Police Academy, Dergaon, as its principal.

The SP hit headlines in connection with the detention of a lactating mother and her breastfeeding baby in the Bilasipara police station for six days along with four others in a murder case. The action of the police continues to earn a sharp reprimand from the Gauhati High Court.

During the hearing of the petition (WP-Crl 20/2023) on June 9, Chief Justice Sandeep Metha and Justice Mitali Thakuria went through the affidavit filed by the respondents and the case diary. The bench said, "We are of the firm opinion that there has been blatant misuse of power by the police officials of Bilasipara Police Station as well as the supervising police officers. Multiple FIRs have been registered in relation to the same incident, with systematic improvement in the case. Even the names of the accused and suspects have been substituted in the third FIR dated May 31, 2023, which, surprisingly, has been filed by none other than the Officer-in-Charge, Bilasipara Police Station, Jyotirmoy Gayan himself. This action creates serious doubt on the fairness of the investigation, and, hence, we are compelled to direct that the Director General of Police, Assam, shall forthwith summon the original records of this case to himself and, thereafter, shall assign further investigation thereof to an officer not below the rank of Additional Superintendent of Police posted in any neighbouring district of Dhubri."

Earlier, the additional advocate general placed on record a copy of the communication dated June 8, 2023, issued by the Inspector General of Police (Admn.), Assam, as per which, acting on the media reports about the detention of a woman with an infant in Bilasipara Police Station, Dhubri District, the Inspector General of Police (Administration), Assam, ordered an inquiry into the whole sequence of events.

The Court further said that the Director General shall supervise the inquiry initiated under the communication dated June 8, 2023.

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