Not their moral responsibility

The year 2015 saw at least three major incidents where “moral action” taken by men in uniform was severely criticised by the masses. The three incidents are of a couple that was allegedly manhandled and assaulted inside the Andheri police station and the act caught on video going viral, four officials from Bandra police assaulting two Mahim youth inside the police station and the raids by Malwani police on “consenting adults” in Aksa and Madh.

In the Andheri case, joint commissioner of police, law and order, Deven Bharti transferred the senior police inspector, police sub inspector (PSI), and a police constable to police control rooms. The PSI and constable could be seen assaulting the male, while the senior inspector was transferred over this and another incident. Mr Bharti refused comment on the Malwani case as it is pending in the Bombay high court. In the Bandra case, all the cops involved in the beating were transferred, but the victims want an FIR registered against them.

Late night on November 1, the couple was spotted having a heated argument in an inebriated state near Andheri railway station and was taken to police station. Here, the drunken youth refused to let go of his girlfriend, catching her waist from behind. A medical test confirmed they were drunk. The police tried to separate them and a video showing at least two officers manhandling and assaulting the youth went viral. An inquiry was ordered as the video was flashed for days by news channels, but the inquiry report is gathering dust in the office of Mr Bharti till date with no action being taken. The couple refused to lodge a complaint, as it would have ultimately revealed their identity, stigmatising their families. The police maintained the couple was “let off after a warning.”

Late night on October 16, the Bandra police rounded up four youths who were fighting on the road. They did not register any case against the two youths, Asif Shaikh and Danish Shaikh, but over an unknown reason badly assaulted them, so much that one of them landed in hospital. The youths alleged they were asked to “go to Pakistan” by a cop, but an eyewitness refuted the claim. Police commissioner Ahmad Javed shunted out five cops from Bandra involved in the incident, sending them to local arms division which is seen as a punishment posting. Meanwhile, a departmental inquiry is on against the cops.

Retired ACP Jaywant Hargude said, “A transfer doesn’t affect a cop’s career, but it definitely demoralises them. In future, such cops think twice before taking any wrong action or even genuine action.”

Asif’s uncle, Mohamad Hasan Shaikh told The Asian Age, “We are not at all satisfied with the transfer. If a common man or we had assaulted the two youths in this manner would the police not register a FIR We have approached the high court for registration of an FIR. A person with a criminal background had approached me telling to forget the matter and not get involved in the issue, as one of them is an encounter specialist who has done a lot for the country and we should not harass him. We are being suppressed in many ways, but let’s see what the HC does now. They had asked my nephew to leave for Pakistan and also lied that he laid a hand on the officer.”

Till date, after the August 6 raids by the Malwani police which struck national headlines for ‘harassing 13 consenting couples’, who rented rooms in four lodges in Aksa and Madh areas for some privacy, not even a single case of soliciting or prostitution was registered, the police said. However, rape cases have been registered where women have alleged that they were raped in the lodges between the period 2013 -2015.

The raids, however, exposed how the area saw several cases of alleged rape, prostitution and soliciting practices, which took place openly. An additional commissioner-level inquiry was ordered, but the aggrieved couples chose not to come forward. A businessman also approached the high court with a PIL against the moral policing of the Malwani police, where the matter is pending.

The Asian Age was the first newspaper to report the ‘other side’ of the story wherein Anjali Bhushan, a documentary film director had come out in total support of the Malwani police going against the general perception of the Mumbai police indulging in ‘moral policing’.

The newspaper had also reported how several cases of soliciting, prostitution and rape had occurred in the lodges, including those which were raided. Ms Bhushan, a resident and chairperson of Harmony building adjacent to Aksa beach had said, “Prostitution has become a profession for them. They sit in rickshaws and roam on the stretch between Aksa and Dana Pani. Few cottages next to our building allow them to rent rooms on an hourly basis. They hire a rickshaw for '1,500 per day. After sunset they stand at the bus stop near our building.”

“Even the police chowky is at 100 metres. Just over a year ago I had verbally complained against them to the Malwani police and they had expressed helplessness saying hum kya kar sakte hai (what can we do). Our former society’s chairperson had also given a written complaint and taken up the issue with the local MLA. But I am happy that the police has finally acted on it,” she added. Presently, Ms Bhushan is out of town, but her building’s manager Anil Salgaonkar confirmed that soliciting in the area has stopped completely.

Chandrakant Raut, a resident of Aksa village said, “After the police cracked down on soliciting barely do we see any women soliciting on the roads. Earlier, due to this women coming from outside used to see normal village women in bad light.”

Harish Shetty, owner of one of the raided lodges, Mantra residency, told this newspaper, “We take photo copies of identity cards of our customers before renting them rooms. If our staff sees one girl coming twice with different men, then we do not allow them. Also, we are ensuring soliciting does not occur outside our premises. We do not ask our patrons about the relationships they share, why should we Because of the raids in my lodge my business got affected about 30 per cent. Even now the business is not what it was.”

Other businessmen, requesting anonymity, said that the overall New Year parties have not been affected.