Police say they have been warning the 34-year-old to not flout the lockdown for 15 days, but that she assaulted a sub-inspector on Thursday
Vinita Manghnani being held down by police personnel who told her not to venture outside to jog for 15 days. Pic/Bipin Kokate
A Breach Candy resident allegedly thrashed a woman police officer for telling her to stop jogging at Girgaon Chowpatty on Thursday evening. The jogger, Vinita Manghnani, 34, has been booked for violating the lockdown and assaulting the sub-inspector.
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The sub-inspector suffered injuries to her head and abdomen and has been admitted to a hospital. According to sources, Manghnani, a homemaker and a fitness enthusiast, is a regular jogger who starts walking from her home to reach chowpatty where she jogs on the promenade.
For the past 15 days, police had been warning her not to come. "Whenever we told her not to come, she would promise to not come from next days onwards. This continued for 15 days," said a source. On Thursday, there was heavy police bandobast as hundreds of migrants had come to get themselves screened to travel on Shramik Special to Jharkhand.
When senior police officers at the spot noticed Manghnani around 6 pm, they sent a Woman Police Constable (WPC) to tell her to return home. "Manghnani did not pay heed to the WPC Varsha Bande and continued walking for another 100 metres. The WPC tried to approach her but Manghnani abused her verbally. Then a woman police sub-inspector Smita Parab, tried to calm her down and convince her. Manghnani threatened to spit on her continuously abusing them," said the source.
"Then, Manghnani thrashed Parab who lost her balance and fell on a motorcycle and injured her head," said a source attached to DB Marg police station. Senior police inspector of DB Marg police station, Suryakant Bangar, said, "She was brought to the police station on Thursday and later released after being served a notice. We called her on Friday to investigate further."
A woman inspector attached to DB Marg police station said, "People living in chawls are far better than those residing in posh areas as the latter are not ready to cooperate with police during the lockdown. They often violate the lockdown. If they want to be fit, they can jog at home. Police are working to safeguard residents amid a global health crisis. We request everyone to please cooperate with us."
DB Marg police have booked Manghnani under Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Another officer attached to DB Marg police station privy to the investigation, said, "We did not arrest her because it will be a lengthy procedure to conduct her corona test and place her under arrest. So, Manghnani has been served with a notice as the punishment for her offence is less than seven years imprisonment. But she will be asked to be present at police station when we file the charge sheet in the matter. She is an entrepreneur who runs a well established tour and
travel business in South Mumbai," said.
"We did not arrest Manghnani because it will involve getting a COVID-19 test first. So, she has been served with a notice as the punishment for her offence is less than seven years imprisonment. But she will be asked to be present at the police station when we file a charge sheet. She is an entrepreneur who runs a well established tour and travel business in South Mumbai," said another officer attached to DB Marg police station.
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