Woman schoolteacher embroiled in property dispute with cop brother-in-law is accused of links with Andhra Naxalites, dragged to police station, thrashed and kept in lock-up

Woman schoolteacher embroiled in property dispute with cop brother-in-law is accused of links with Andhra Naxalites, dragged to police station, thrashed and kept in lock-up

Anuradha Mane, a secondary school teacher at Sadhana High School in Hadapsar, has been living a nightmare for two years.

She says she has been at the receiving end of physical assault by her brother-in-law API Anil Mane over property matters, and now also has to deal with a police case in which she is accused of having links with Naxalites in Andhra Pradesh.

The horrors of Thursday are still fresh in Anuradha's memory. She was dragged to the Hadapsar police station, where she says the police beat her. Fresh bruises can be seen on her left hand. She spent the night in the lock-up.

Living in fear

"I have been living in constant fear for two years. But I can not take this any longer," she said. "I will protest and ensure action is taken against my brother-in-law."

Anuradha said she was assaulted in front of her son Ashok and daughter Aparna.

"Without listening to my side of the story, a policewoman, API Dwaraka Doke, and two women constables beat me like I were a criminal," said Anuradha. "PI Pandharinath Mandhare slapped me."

Bone of contention

Ashok said a flat owned by his mother at Bhimashankar Bhawan in Hadapsar was the bone of contention with Anil.

He said Anil was pressuring her by making a false complaint against her and using the police to harass her.
"Linking her with the Andhra Pradesh Naxalites is his idea of framing and harassing her," he said.

Anuradha said her 22-year-old son was also being dragged into the case filed by Anil and that she had now decided to approach Home Minister R R Patil and Minister of State for Home Ramesh Bagwe to get justice.

"We had earlier given a written application to Police Commissioner Dr Satyapal Singh but nothing happened," she said.

Anuradha even had to be admitted to hospital because of the beating she received at Anil's hands. The police paid a visit to her school to conduct an inquiry on the alleged Naxal connection.

"Fortunately, my school authorities know my integrity and quality of work and they have always stood by me," Anuradha said. "We filed an RTI and proved that the allegation against me was wrong."

V D Nimhan, regional officer, Sadhana Vidyalaya, said: "We are all with Anuradha Mane and are happy about her work in the school.

We are not allowing her brother-in-law to bring their family matter on the school premises."
Anil Mane is working as a radio operator with SRPF Group I in Wanawadi.

Group Commandant Chiranjeev Prasad said: "We have given him a strict warning and asked him to leave the flat belonging to Anuradha Mane. We have already allotted him SRPF quarters."

The Other Side

Police Inspector Pandharinath Mandhare of the Hadapsar police station refuted the charges levelled by Anuradha Mane.
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He said: "We did not even touch her. She lost her temper and became violent. Her brother-in-law Anil Mane had registered eight complaints against her."

Anil Mane said: "I lodged a complaint against Anuradha Mane after reading in a local daily about her connections with Naxals in Andhra Pradesh.

I have never beaten her. It is my apartment and she is staying there."

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