Hailing the decision, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind said what was previously the responsibility of the government is now being handled by the courts
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — The Supreme Court has issued notice to Uttarakhand government in the recent case of the rape and murder of Tasneem Jahan, a Muslim nurse from Rudrapur.
The case was heard on Friday by a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud. It was filed by the daughter of the deceased, Zia Malik, through her grandfather and her sister Sahiba Jahan, with the assistance of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind chief Maulana Arshad Madani, requesting a CBI inquiry into the murder case and compensation for the victims.
A request has also been made to the court to establish national-level guidelines for the protection of medical staff. The petition includes the Union of India, the Ministry of Child and Women Development, and the State of Uttarakhand as respondents.
Tasneem Jahan, a nurse at a private hospital, went missing on July 30. Her body was found in a vacant plot in Uttar Pradesh’s Dibdiba area on August 14 and the police arrested one Dharmendra and accused him of a role in the rape and murder of the nurse. Dharmendra is from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh and works as a labourer.
During Friday’s hearing in the Supreme Court, senior advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan informed the court that the police investigation so far has been unsatisfactory. From the beginning, the police’s conduct has been unprofessional. Despite the report of the deceased’s disappearance being filed, the police took no action for a week, and only after public protests they started taking action, eventually arresting a suspect. Nitya Ramakrishnan told the court that the deceased’s 11-year-old innocent daughter continued to cry and wait for her mother, but she did not see her mother alive again. Instead, a week later, she was informed of her mother’s demise, leaving the child in a state of shock.
Advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan further informed the court that the Supreme Court had issued guidelines regarding missing persons in 2022, which the local police had not followed. She also mentioned that similar incidents are occurring throughout the region, and the police action is merely procedural and inadequate. She urged the court to intervene in this matter.
After hearing Nitya Ramakrishnan’s arguments, the Chief Justice of India initially suggested that the case be referred to the Uttarakhand High Court. However, following further arguments by her, Chief Justice Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Mishra decided to accept the case for hearing and issued a notice to the Uttarakhand government.
Nitya Ramakrishnan was assisted by Sarim Naved, Shahid Nadeem, Astuti Ray, Mujahid Ahmed, and others. The court has been requested to direct the state government to order an independent investigation into FIR No. 406/2024 of the Rudrapur police station by the central investigative agency, and to grant compensation to the deceased’s young daughter.
Maulana Arshad Madani welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to issue notice to the Uttarakhand government. He said the task of delivering justice, which was previously the responsibility of the government, is now being handled by the courts. He expressed regret that Jamiat had to come knocking on the court’s door to seek justice for Tasneem Jahan.
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File photo shows nurses protesting against the rape and murder of a Muslim nurse.
