Mumbai cop’s poem touches a raw nerve

A woman traffic inspector was at the centre of a controversy on Monday over her poem in a Mumbai police in-house journal in which she called last year’s Azad Maidan protesters “snakes” and “traitors” and suggested that their hands should have been “chopped off.”

A complaint was filed with the State’s Home Department, the Mumbai Police Commissioner’s office and the Azad Maidan police station by Ameen Mustafa Idrisi, who runs an NGO, Muslim-e-Hind, and Nazar Mohammed Siddique, one of the accused arrested in the Azad Maidan violence case who is currently out on bail. The violence occurred during a rally in the maidan in protest against attacks on Muslims.

The complainants sought registration of an FIR against Commissioner Satyapal Singh, Joint Police Commissioner (Administration) Hemant Nagarale, inspector Sujata Patil who penned the verse, the publisher and other unknown “conspirators” in connection with the publication of the poem in Samvad.

Ms. Patil has tendered an apology in writing, saying she did not intend to hurt anybody’s religious sentiments or any religion after the poem titled “Azad Maidan” left the Mumbai police embarrassed.

“Sujata Patil has already apologised in writing. She has said she did not intend to hurt anybody’s religious sentiments or any religion. The written unconditional apology will be published in the next edition of Samwad,” Mr. Nagarale said.

The complainants have demanded that the guilty to be booked under Sections 295(A) (Maliciously insulting religion), 298 (uttering or putting such words which insults religion), 504 (insult to provoke breach of peace), 505 (false statement), 120(B)(criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC.