CBIs assault on womans dignity,must take action: Brinda to PM

Under fire for its obscene and unscientific references in the chargesheet in the Sister Abhaya murder case,the CBI was silent today but senior officials...

Under fire for its obscene and unscientific references in the chargesheet in the Sister Abhaya murder case,the CBI was silent today but senior officials,sources said,went into a huddle in Thiruvananthapuram to scrutinise all related case files,note-sheets and medical reports from the agencys Kochi office. The chargesheet was filed in a Kochi court last week.

The Indian Express reported today how the agency,to dispute accused Sister Sephys claim that she is a virgin,got her medical examination done.

The CBI claimed that she had a surgery to conceal evidence of rupture of hymen due to frequent vaginal sexual intercourse and that her pendulous breasts were suggestive of vigorous fondling during sexual intercourse.

CBI officials claim that these remarks are based on the language used by the team of two doctors after Sephys test at the T D Medical College,Alapuzha,and that these werent the words used by agency officials.

But theres no such attribution in the chargesheet. Officials also claim that the chargesheet wasnt cleared by the top brass of the agency in New Delhi but finalised at the state level.

Rajya Sabha MP and senior CPM leader Brinda Karat today sent a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressing outrage at the CBIs vulgar and objectionable language and demanded disciplinary and criminal action against the officers concerned.

Referring to The Indian Express report,Karat said: Its an affront to the dignity of women; it is insulting to the woman concerned and also reflects a perverted mentality. The language used in the chargesheet against a female accused invites criminal action against the officials concerned under laws pertaining to protection of a womans dignity,against harassment as also against obscenity.

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Karat,a CPM Politburo member,urged the Prime Minister to enquire into the matter and ensure disciplinary action and prosecution under the relevant section of the laws against the officers concerned.

I support all efforts to bring the guilty persons to book and bring justice to the murdered nun. While holding no quarter for the accused,I request you to send a strong message to all investigative agencies that minimum standards of respect to the dignity of women will be protected. If the premier investigative agency of the country can use such objectionable language,what can women expect from local investigation officers? she said.