Arpita Shaw recounts her travails at Chitpur police station. A Telegraph picture

Police will have to explain why no action has been taken against three cops who had allegedly remained mute spectators while a woman was being beaten up by one of their colleagues.

The state women’s commission has sought the explanation from Nabin Chandra Roy, officer-in-charge of Chitpur police station, where Arpita Shaw was reportedly beaten up by constable Vidyasagar Banik on May 31.

Banik was suspended the next day, after Arpita identified him, but the other three, who reportedly laughed while the housewife was being assaulted, are still roaming free.

Rama Das, vice-chairperson of the commission, said: “Instead of remaining mute spectators, the three should have acted against their colleague and come to the woman’s rescue. What they did was shameful.”

A delegation of the commission, headed by Das, visited the police station and Shaw’s home on Khagendra Chatterjee Road nearby.

The state human rights commission has asked deputy commissioner of police (north) Damayanti Sen to send a report within two weeks on what had happened with Arpita in the police station.

Arpita had visited the thana after the police picked up husband Manoj for allegedly assaulting some masons who were working in an “unauthorised building” next to his house. The woman alleged in her complaint that a plainclothesman had slapped her thrice when she asked him why Manoj had been rounded up. “Three other cops were laughing at me,” she said.