NEW DELHI, DEC 2: Justice M N Venkatachaliah, chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed that the investigation of a rape cape in Meerut, where the accused are two policemen, be handed over to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the reports of the same be submitted to the Commission by December 20.

The commission has also directed that the two accused, Sukhbir and Surendra, be suspended.

The allegations in the case are that the two policemen attached to Maukash Police Post Meerut District (UP) raped Aruna a 30-year-old woman on the night between September 11 and 12, 1996.

Her handicapped husband Arun Kumar, who ran a roadside tea-stall, was taken to the police post on some pretext the same night.

In response the police had said that the tea-stall run by Arun was indulging in sale of illicit liquor and charge of rape was a counter-charge against the legitimate action taken by the police.

The NHRC team alleged that the station diary register of the PP Maukhan had been tempered with. Starting from September 20 there were no page numbers in the register.

Four pages after September 11 had been taken off and new pages were inserted.

To ensure that the investigation proceeds continue unhampered a the accused and the local investigating officer be placed on suspension.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.