Mistaken for a thief, govt employee beaten by cops in custody

Victim Adrich Agastine Gonsalves received injuries on his face

Mistaken for a thief who looted an auto driver at knife-point outside Bhayandar railway station, two constables dragged a 53-year-old Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) employee to the police station and beat him up badly with belts and lathis. However, they soon realised they had caught the wrong person. Mira-Bhayandar police commissioner Sadanand Date has ordered an inquiry and directed necessary action against the constables.

Sudden attack

The victim, identified as Adrich Agastine Gonsalves, works as an assistant technician at JNPT and resides in Vasai. Speaking to mid-day, Gonsalves said, "On Thursday night, on my way back home from work I took a train from Dadar station at 12.41 am to reach Vasai station. At Bhayandar station I decided to board a compartment towards the end of the train, as my bike was parked on the backside of Vasai station. After I got off the train and tried to board a different compartment, three unknown people suddenly attacked me. They said I had looted an auto driver at knife-point and started beating me up. They dragged me outside the station and asked the auto driver to identify me. When he said that I was the same person, they assaulted me further."

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He added, "They called a police constable, who reached the spot and beat me up with a lathi. I told him that I was a government employee, but he was not ready to listen. He took me to the Bhayandar police station and handed me over to another constable. Both of them then beat me up with belts and lathis. It was third degree torture and I was treated like a criminal without any evidence. Later when they realised that I was the wrong person, they registered a non-cognisable offence against me and let me go home. I have received injuries in my eyes, face, back and legs. I have not been able to walk or sleep properly since the incident. The constables even forced me to accept the crime but I didn't."

Trio arrested

Senior inspector of Bhayandar police station, Mugutrao Patil said, "We have registered a case against the three people who assaulted Gonsalves at the station. The trio has been arrested and produced in court. They were sent to judicial custody." Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1), Amit Kale, said, "A detailed inquiry is being conducted against the constables, Kendre and Belekar. We have asked the senior inspector of Bhayandar police station to submit a detailed report. If anything is found against them in the inquiry then appropriate action will be taken."

Activist Freda Morias from Mira-Bhayandar said, "This is a serious matter as police constables are misusing their powers. I suspect that these cops are running a racket with the arrested accused to threaten people and torture them. The constables should be given the strictest possible punishment."