Expressing “serious concern” over violation of human rights of rape accused and athlete Pinki Pramanik, the West Bengal human rights panel sought a report from the government within seven days, an official said Wednesday.
Asiad gold medalist Pramanik has been accused of being a male and is currently under judicial custody for alleged rape.
“The commission has asked the home secretary and the director general of police to initiate a probe by a senior police officer into the allegation of human rights violation of Pinki Pramanik and submit a report within seven days,” West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC) Joint Secretary Sujay Kumar Haldar told IANS.
“The commission has also sought a report from the state health secretary, to be submitted within two weeks from the date of issue of the order,” added Haldar.
The order comes in the wake of a complaint by civil rights group Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) which Tuesday accused the state administration of sexually harassing Pinki and sought the commission’s intervention.
APDR members met WBHRC chairman Ashok Kumar Ganguly and submitted newspaper clippings, photos and pictures to substantiate their claim of sexual harassment of Pinki.
Holding the administration responsible for an MMS clip – showing the athlete in the nude while undergoing a gender test – which went viral online, the organisation had also sought exemplary punishment for the guilty.
Pramanik was arrested June 14 after the athlete’s live-in partner, a divorcee and a mother of one, lodged a police complaint accusing Pramanik of being a man who had been repeatedly raping and torturing her.