Another Setback in Noor Bano case

Another Setback in Noor Bano case

Anjali Singh, CNS

Once again the case of seven year old Noor Bano came to a dead end on Dec 22 with the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) forwarding the case to the government Railway Police (GRP) for ivestigation and action. The case was first brought before them for hearing by Saaksham Foundation on Dec 15.

While the CWC remained indecisive then, yesterday on Dec 22 a three member committee comprising of Dr VV Brigeetha, DK Chaudhary and Shyam Kumar again sat on judgment of the case and issued a letter to GRP Police once again to investigate the case.

The CWC letter was delivered yesterday evening to the thana incharge of GRP seeking lodging of First Information Report in the Noor Bano case.

Interestingly what was omitted was the fact that the case had already been referred to the Krishnanagar Thana by the DGP who instructed them to lodge an FIR when the case was put up before him.

But the Krishna Nagar thana refused to lodge the FIR and forwarded it to GRP saying the case came under GRP's jurisdiction.

The CWC also did not to make use of their suo motto powers to give verbal orders to lodge an FIR to Krishnanagar Thana to investigate the case. Neither did they consider the fact that the child was in immediate need of rehabilitative care and medical compensation.

Saaksham Foundation in its letter addressed to the CWC Chairperson had categorically mentioned that the case be registered at the Krishna Nagar thana and investigation into kidnapping, physical abuse and disfiguring of the child be ordered immediately. The GRP had no jurisdiction in this case as the child had gone missing from Alambagh and is a resident of Kanausi, Manaknagar which is under the Krishnanagar Police circle.

Yet decision on the case was delayed and when a judgment was finally delivered a week later all the details were not taken into consideration and the case was forwarded to GRP.

This will not only further dilute the case but also hamper delivering of justice to the child and her family.

As requested on behalf of the child, letter from CWC should have been shot off to the DGP and the DIG Range to immediately get the FIR on the case lodged in the relevant thana so that proper investigation on the matter could begin. It should have also instructed the state officials responsible to ensure rehabilitative care due to Noor Bano her as per her right.

But none of the above was done and the buck continues to be passed on in the Noor Nano case even by the Committee which is a foremost representative and protector of child rights in UP.

Anjali Singh
(The author is a Special Correspondent to Citizen News Service (CNS) and also the Director of Saaksham Foundation. Email: anjali@citizen-news.org)

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