SHOCKING: This is how cops treat people who abuse women

While, the police is expected to be sensitive towards a victim, especially when the victims are women, police officers at Bhoiwada police station extended the courtesies towards the accused who allegedly abused them.

Kalyankar and two other accused surrendered to the Bhoiwada police, after an FIR was lodged in the case

MiD DAY had reported how five of its journalists (four female, one male) had gone for lunch at Aditi Veg Restaurant in Parel and were abused by six unknown men in the foulest of language (‘Six diners abuse journalists over shifting their chairs', February 18).

Our photographer caught police inspector Sunil Kale from Bhoiwada police station greeting accused Shashank Kalyankar outside the police station minutes after the journalists identified Kalyankar as one of the men who abused them. Pic/Rane Ashish

Three of the six men surrendered voluntarily to the Bhoiwada police station, after an FIR was lodged in the case. However, minutes later, our photographers spotted one of the accused men shaking hands with a police inspector of the Bhoiwada police station. This raises concerns over how seriously the police treat cases.

Two of the accused men, Shashank Kalyankar (in white) and Shashikant Bawlekar. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

At police station
The Bhoiwada police arrested three of the six men who had allegedly abused five journalists of this newspaper in the central Mumbai eatery. Of the three, one man, the police said, was closely affiliated to a Member of Parliament (MP) and the rest were all musicians.

CCTV footage showing Shrinivas Shetty (circled), the owner of Aditi, during the fight

After four female reporters complained to the cops that they were subjected to filthy abuse by six unidentified men while having lunch in a restaurant near Parel, the police registered an FIR under sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 294 (obscene acts and songs).

Aditi restaurant near MiD DAY's Parel office. Pic/Datta Kumbhar

After the ordeal was written about in MiD DAY, the three surrendered to the police. "We have arrested Shashank Suresh Kalyankar, a Kalwa resident, Jaisingh Mahadeo Indulkar, resident of Ghatkopar, and Shashikant Shantaram Bawlekar, a resident of Vikhroli, in the case.

All of them are musicians. Of the six, we found these three playing a role in the act, after watching the CCTV footage. Based on the video evidence, we arrested them," said Sunil Tondwalkar, senior police inspector of Bhoiwada police station.

However, all three were granted bail at the police station with surety. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone V) Dhananjay Kulkarni said, "The accused appeared at the Bhoiwada police station at 9 am yesterday, along with their lawyers.

They were granted bail around 2 pm, after their statements were recorded." A police officer added, "Kalyankar is closely affiliated to a Navi Mumbai politician and Thane MP, Sanjeev Naik. He looks after Naik's programmes in Kalwa area and organises janta darbars for him."

Friends or accused?
One of the MiD DAY journalists recalled how the police officers were mingling with the accused, even letting them use their own phones to make calls. "I received a call around 9.15 am from the police station, asking us to come for the case to identify the arrested accused.

When we went there, the accused was using the police officer's phone to make a call. When he saw us journalists, he immediately handed the phone to the officer. I was surprised to see this.

The investigating officer told us that the accused approached the police themselves after reading reports of the incident, hence there was no need to arrest them," he said. What highlights the officials' callous behaviour is that on Tuesday, MiD DAY's office had received a call from an informer, identifying Shashank Kalyankar from Kalwa.

This information had been passed on to the police. "Despite this, they did nothing. Instead, they waited for the accused to surrender themselves," added the journalist. Minutes after the journalists left the police station, this paper's photographers spotted a police officer shaking hands with the accused.

Restaurant owner speaks
Shrinivas Shetty, the owner of Aditi Veg Restaurant, and his staff witnessed the entire drama. According to Shetty, he was sitting inside the cabin of the hotel and heard loud voices. One of the staff members informed him of the argument.

"Initially, I thought the noise was from outside the hotel. When I came to know it was on my own premises, I went and tried to settle the matter. My priority was to first safeguard my customers than to bother about anything else," said Shetty.

He said he had suggested that the journalists shift to another table. But the arguments became heated and nobody moved. "I stood there for a long time to protect my customers. The group of men was abusing the women by commenting about the language they speak.

One of the men asked them to go back to UP and MP and speak in this language there. I heard them commenting about the physical appearance of one of the women in the group," recalled Shetty.

According to him, the group of men had visited the hotel for the first time. "They were very aggressive. I don't know if they were from a party or not. But this was arrogance of power," he said.

Copspeak
When we asked Madhukar Pandey, additional commissioner of police, central region about this, he said, "If any favourable treatment is given to anybody we will surely take action against the concerned police officer."