Mumbai Crime: Woman 'assaulted' by auto driver says he now stalks her

The victim alleges that she was physically and verbally abused and no one came forward to help her, because of which she attacked the auto driver in self-defence. Pics/Hanif Patel

A 48-year-old woman, who was allegedly assaulted by an auto-rickshaw driver in Virar last month, said on Friday that the man has been stalking and threatening her. Victim Manjeet Kaur-Bhosale told mid-day that the Arnala police had not registered a case against him on October 21 when the incident happened, but later when she approached DCP Sanjaykumar Patil, the driver was booked in a molestation case.

Speaking to mid-day, Bhosale said, "I had pleaded before police station in-charge Mahesh Shettye to register a case against auto driver Durgesh Patil as he touched me inappropriately while assaulting me on the road, but only a non-cognisable offence was registered against him. On the contrary, the cops booked me in an assault case as I had stabbed the driver in self-defence."

Manjeet Kaur-Bhosale and her mother Satnam Kaur at their Virar home

'He was not arrested'

"The molestation case was registered against Durgesh on November 3 but he was not arrested. Instead, the officers tried to dissuade me from registering a case against Durgesh," Bhosale added. "He (Durgesh) has been roaming freely and is often seen near my society. I am scared because nowadays he follows me whenever I go to the station and return home. I am also being pressurised by the police and others to withdraw the case," she said.

Her 67-year-old ailing mother Satnam Kaur alleged that the cops at Arnala police station mistreated her as well. "I had gone to the police station with my daughter but the cops misbehaved with me. We were treated like criminals and made to sit till 10 pm," alleged Kaur. She added, "I'm worried about my daughter's safety because she is being followed by the driver."

'Nobody helped me'

Recalling the incident, Bhosale said, "While I was moving out of the society's parking area on my bike, Durgesh was driving towards the station at full speed. It is a narrow road illegally occupied by auto-rickshaw drivers. When he saw me coming out, he suddenly applied the brakes and lost balance. Though nothing happened, he started verbally abusing me. I went to the police chowkie to complain but nobody helped me."

When she returned to her society, she found Durgesh there. "When I was taking pictures of his auto-rickshaw, he arrived at the spot and hit me on my hand. I tried taking their pictures but Durgesh came closer and hit me on the temples when I fell on the road. Helpless I pulled out my kripan in self-defence and attacked him," she said.

Meanwhile, Durgesh told mid-day, "I am a poor person who has been falsely implicated in the case. I have been in bed since she assaulted me with a knife. The wound needed two stitches. How can I go out and stalk her? This is a baseless allegation."

Investigating Officer Mohan Sonawane said that Durgesh had secured interim bail from court. "I received the court documents today. I was on leave and that's why he was not arrested," Sonawane added.

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