Member of the National Commission for Women, Shamina Shafiq, who arrived in Mangalore on Thursday to conduct an independent inquiry into the attack by self-styled moral policemen on young men and women at a party in a home stay here , refused to comment on the controversial report submitted by the state women's commission.
The report has invited wide criticism for its handling of the incident and the comments it has made on the victims of the attack while skirting the main issue of moral policemen manhandling young women after barging into a private party here. “I have got the report prepared by the state women's commission but will not comment on it. It has given its thoughts on the issue. But when I spoke to two victims, they said the state women's commission did not speak to them, which is really unfortunate,” Ms Shafiq said, however, making her displeasure with the police apparent for failing to submit its Action Taken Report (ATR) on the incident to the national commission.
Ms Shafiq , who has arrived in the city over a fortnight after the incident which marked the return of moral policing to Mangalore, began her inquiry by speaking to the victims and officials investigating the case. “The National Commission for Women took cognisance of this shocking and unfortunate incident the very next working day after it was reported and sought an Action Taken Report (ATR) from the DG-IGP of the state within 10 days. But unfortunately we have not received it still,” Ms Shafiq told reporters, denying that the Central team was late in coming to Mangalore.
“The incident took place on Saturday night and we took cognisance of it on Monday- the next working day and immediately sought the ATR from the Karnataka police. We were also waiting for the state women's commission to complete its inquiry. Now that it has submitted its report and the police has not got back to us with the ATR, I have come here to hold an inquiry,” she said.