A 20-year-old woman, who was arrested by Dadar police for theft earlier this week, has alleged in court that she was stripped and brutally assaulted in the police station on the night of her arrest.
The victim stays in Vashi and worked as domestic help in a Matunga household. Her employer accused her of stealing cash and jewellery worth ₹4 lakh, and registered an FIR against her.
The woman’s family members said she was summoned to Dadar police station on Sunday morning and arrested, after being questioned.
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The victim's uncle said he had accompanied the victim to the police station, along with her mother. At around 7.30 p.m., he said, they were told she had been arrested, and that she could apply for bail on Monday. “When we went back to the police station at around 11 a.m. on Monday, we were told that she was in the lock-up at Mahim police station, and that she would be brought to Dadar soon. However, her mother, while visiting the bathroom at the police station, saw her sitting in a room through the window. It took her some time to recognise her own daughter, as her face was swollen.”
The victim's mother and uncle demanded an explanation from the police after the victim told them she had been stripped and beaten up between Sunday night and Monday morning. The uncle said, “After we created a ruckus, the investigating officer of the case started begging for forgiveness.”
The family, through some of their friends, approached the International Human Rights Council, an independent organisation, and filed a complaint filed before the Bhoiwada court on Monday.
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Rajesh Bhavsar, member of the International Human Rights Council, said, “The magistrate ordered a medical examination, which was conducted at JJ Hospital on Monday evening, and the reports, which were received on Tuesday, proved that she had been assaulted. The magistrate asked the investigating officer and five others, including a woman constable, to appear in court with the case diary of the incident, which they failed to do.”
Advocate Anil Kamble, who is representing the victim, said, “The police claim that the girl had confessed to her crime, on the basis of which they arrested her. We tried to secure bail for her, but as ₹4 lakh is a huge amount, her bail plea was rejected. We will approach the sessions court on Monday.”
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone V), Rajiv Jain, denied that the victim had been assaulted. “The victim’s face was already swollen when she was arrested. No such assault took place in the police station. We are gathering further details about the matter,” Mr. Jain said.