NCW Flags Jharkhand Police Inaction On 536 Pending Cases, Seeks Accountability

National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar on Wednesday expressed serious concern over the functioning of Jharkhand Police, alleging that it had failed to respond to 536 cases pending with the commission, despite repeated requests for updates on action taken.

Rahatkar said the police had also not responded to more than 15 cases in which the NCW had taken suo motu cognisance, including the death of tribal activist Nisha Kumari Bhagat, who allegedly died by suicide in Ranchi last Friday.

"We have repeatedly been writing to police, asking them to inform us about the actions they have taken in these cases. However, we are yet to receive any response," she told reporters.

Rahatkar was in Jharkhand to review the investigation into Bhagat's death. She also visited the activist's ancestral village in Gumla district and met her parents, who reportedly raised serious allegations and sought speedy justice.

The NCW chairperson claimed that the commission was unable to meet the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police in Gumla. Requests for meetings with authorities in Ranchi and the Director General of Police also allegedly went unanswered.

She further said the commission had written to Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday regarding the case but had not received a response. Rahatkar also criticised the state for not having a functional State Women's Commission for the past six to seven years, saying the absence of such an institution weakened accountability and support mechanisms for women.

Referring to the state government's decision to hand over Bhagat's death investigation to the CBI, she said the move did not absolve the state government or police of their responsibilities, particularly as the police had conducted the initial investigation and collected evidence.

Soren ordered a CBI probe on Tuesday, hours after the officer-in-charge of Pithoria police station was removed following allegations of a conspiracy surrounding Bhagat's death.