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HomeOpinionDiaryPolice brutality is on the rise in India - Part I

Police brutality is on the rise in India – Part I

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Instances of attacks by the police on innocent citizens and misuse of power by them are reported in the media almost every day. The police have vast powers, but these powers should be used to maintain law and order and render assistance to the public and not harass them unnecessarily. In India, policemen connive with organized gangs to extort huge sums of money by falsely implicating young models in cases of flesh trade. Recently, a male model was picked up by some eight policemen and later it was known that it was a well planned operation. A young female model was also trapped and robbed of her cash and gold ornaments.

On June 9, 2015, a policeman beat up a photographer by the name of Amay Kharad working for a leading daily who tried photographing Janhavi Gadkar, the woman who was drunk and caused an accident when she was driving her car. Amay Kharad’s camera worth Rs 4 lakh was also damaged in the process and the police have not been arrested nor the photographer compensated for the loss of his camera. In north India, it is still worse. Policemen drag suspects on the road with a rope or hammer them black and blue in public. They rough up drivers too who do not obey their supreme orders. Recently, in North India, a traffic policeman threw bricks at a lady driver of a two-wheeler just because she asked for a receipt for the fine paid. The lady suffered a fracture but the policeman was not arrested.

On Friday, May 22, 2015, at around 6.45 p.m., a young boy or around 20-21 years of age (I was a witness to this) was severely beaten up and his clothes torn in full public view by the traffic police constables of the Sion-Dharavi police chowki near Sion railway station just because he asked the police constables the reason for the nakabandi which was taking place that moment. The youth had to pay the price with a false case being registered against him. When the public went to help the boy out (including myself), we were all lathi-charged and also abused. On December 28, 2013, I too was falsely implicated by the traffic police constables of the Bhoiwada, Lalbaug police chowki at Parel in Mumbai just because I refused to pay them a bribe for carrying goods in the tempo in which I was travelling.

In India, policemen misuse their powers and take the law into their own hands just because they are supported by thugs and corrupt politicians. Activist, Arun Ferreira of Mumbai too suffered for several years (from 2007 to 2013) at the hands of the Nagpur police. He was arrested as the police thought he was the leader of a terror group. In prison, he was stripped naked and beaten up very badly on several occasions. He was also made to consume dog’s urine and sleep on the floor which was full of dog’s excreta. The food given to him to eat was also stale (The dal was watery and the rice full of stones). Sometimes, he was even denied food for days together.

(This is a first part of the article and the remaining part will continue tomorrow)

Jubel D’Cruz

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