Allahabad HC orders action against UP cops harassing widow

Lucknow, Aug 8 (IANS) The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has ordered the superintendent of police, Barabanki, to take action against the policemen responsible for harassing a widow, who came to them with a complaint of harassment by her late husband’s brother.
A bench of Justice Sangeeta Chandra and Justice N.K. Johari has passed the order on the petition of Shobha Sharma, a resident of Barabanki district.

Representing the petitioner, advocate Chandan Srivastava apprised the court about the harassment meted out to the petitioner Shobha Sharma by sub-inspector Firoz, who was the investigating officer in a complaint lodged by the petitioner.

Srivastava apprised the court that the petitioner, a widow, had a property dispute with her late husband’s elder brother. The issue was resolved by the district magistrate and the superintendent of police in Barabanki.

However, on July 9 this year, the family members of petitioner’s elder brother-in-law broke into the portion of the house where Shobha lived and took away valuables.

On Shobha’s complaint, the superintendent of police, Barabanki, directed to lodge an FIR. The FIR was lodged at the Kotwali police station, but the investigating officer took away keys of Shobha Sharma’s room.