Vasai: Branded as thieves, six tribal women caned and locked up just for being poor

While five of the Koli women were caned on their palms, one was hit badly on her left arm. Pics/Hanif Patel

Sic women from the Malhar Koli community, who work as daily wagers, might have never imagined that a trip to a Vasai market to buy clothes and ration would expose them to alleged police high-handedness. In an incident of alleged custodial assault, which plays out a lot like the Tamil film Jai Bhim, an assistant police inspector (API) picked up the women from the market, took them to the Papdi police chowkie and caned them on the mere suspicion of them being pickpockets. All of this happened on a day when they did not get work and decided to visit the market instead.

Vinod Wagh, API

All the victims are natives of Kavdas village in Dahanu taluka of Palghar district. The semi-nomadic tribes recently left their village in search of work in Vasai where they reside in makeshift tents. In order to get work as labourers at construction sites, the tribals gather at Paar naka - a pick-up point in Papdi village of Vasai city - from where contractors take them to the site. A few of them get work daily while others have to wait till the next day.

Papdi police chowkie where the incident took place

Like any other day, about 100 tribals had gathered at the same pick-up point on November 19. However, the victims did not get work that day and so they decided to visit the Vasai market. "Since we did not get work, we decided to go to the weekly Friday market to purchase some clothes. We had come to Vasai from Dahanu just a day before that," said Baby Narayan Wavre, 45, who was brutally assaulted on her left arm.

"Around 12:30 pm we went to the market and purchased some blouse pieces and teacups. Few of us were carrying our tiffin boxes, as we had left home early in the morning for work, which we did not get that day," Wavre told mid-day. She was accompanied by five other women - Taru Subhash Dokphode, 25; Sonam Sabu Bhoir, 21; Sita Santaram Bhoir, 35; Vimal Manku Pujhara, 43, and Deepika Dinesh Wavre, 25.

Brutally caned

"We were at the market when suddenly two policemen walked up to us and asked us not to move. Initially I thought that we were caught for not wearing facemasks, and so I tried to cover my face with a piece of cloth. In the meantime, one of the cops got an auto-rickshaw and forcefully bundled us into it. The driver was asked to take us to Papdi police chowkie. We were confused about what was going on," said Wavre.

The women had come to Vasai from Dahanu in search of work

Another victim Bhoir said, "I was excited to visit the market but a male officer forcefully pushed us into an auto and took us to the police chowkie. After we got off the auto, API Vinod Wagh dragged us into the chowkie and bolted the door from inside. There was another officer in the room but he did not assault us. Wagh took out a baton and said, ‘You all are thieves. Have you come here for pickpocketing? Next time you should not be seen in and around the market area.' He verbally abused us too." She further said, "All of us were asked to put forward our palms. Except Wavre, all of us were caned on our palms."

"As I did not comply, Wagh hit me thrice on my left arm. The wound has turned blue and I cannot even move my hand. It's paining a lot," Wavre said. "I hardly earn '300 to '400 a day and we do not have a fixed job. I have not been able to go to work as my arm is paining," added Wavre, who has been running a family of six since her husband passed away last year.

Baby Narayan Wavre was brutally assaulted on her left arm

"We are poor but not thieves. We sweat it out under the sun to earn our living. The cops must respect women. We were abused and assaulted by the policemen just because our clothes were tattered and dirty," said Pujhara. Wavre further said, "We showed them our Aadhaar cards to prove that we are not thieves, but the officers were not ready to listen. I am scared of policemen now. Are they here to protect us or assault us?"

‘We paid the price for being poor'

Another victim Deepika said, "We had our lunch boxes with us. Which thief carries a lunch box to the crime scene? The police assaulted us just because we are poor. We kept pleading innocence with folded hands and teary eyes but he continued to assault us. No female officers were present at the chowkie. We were kept there for nearly 30 minutes. The officer asked us not to visit the market again or else we would be assaulted again. From where will we purchase ration and vegetables if we do not go to the market? And should we not visit the market just because we are tribals and belong to a down-trodden category of people?" "We have paid the price for being poor," added Pujhara.

Speaking to mid-day, API Wagh said, "I have not assaulted anyone. I took them to the police chowkie after receiving a complaint. Incidents of pickpocketing have been on the rise in the market area. I am being falsely framed in a sensitive matter. The CCTV footage inside the police chowkie will reveal everything." Following the incident, Wagh was transferred to the control room of Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar police commissionerate in Mira Road, said Zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Sanjay Kumar Patil.

"Six women were brought to the Papdi police chowkie by API Wagh, who allowed them to go after questioning for a brief period. The women have submitted a complaint against Wagh at Vasai police station and we have initiated an enquiry," said Patil.

The shanties at Papdi village where they reside

He added, "The women have undergone medical check-ups at DM Petit Hospital and one of them had reddish marks on her arm. We are probing into the details to ascertain if Wagh assaulted them. We have recorded the statements of many people, including local residents, as the police chowkie is located on a busy road. All of them said that no one was assaulted at the chowkie."

Speaking about the CCTV footage, Patil said, "There are no CCTV cameras inside the chowkie but there is one camera which records the movement of vehicles on the road outside the chowkie. The diary entry of each woman has been made."

A police officer attached to the Vasai police station said, "After taking these women to the police chowkie, Wagh should have informed the police station and requested for a team of women officers to quiz them."

‘Wagh must be punished'

Speaking about the incident, tribal leader Vivek Pandit said, "The commissioner of police, MBVV must punish Wagh as he assaulted the tribal women without verifying the facts. This reflects the barbaric nature of police officers and their high-handedness against tribals."

Senior lawyer at Vasai court, Advocate Digambar Desai said, "Assault by the police in custody is a barbaric act. In this case no FIR was registered against the women, still they were assaulted in custody. The Supreme Court, time and again, has come down heavily on police atrocities and has given guidelines to act appropriately. Despite that we hear of such brutal acts, that too in such progressive times. Where were the women officers? The incident is shameful."

Head of Vivek Pandit-led Shramjeevi Sangathana of Chulna Village, Santosh Tumbada said, "After we apprised the senior police officers of the barbaric act, my team members were approached by some people who offered to bribe us to dilute the matter. But we remained firm on our stand."

Rs 400
Maximum amount Wavre earns in a day