TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herlad-goa.com
PANJIM: Just when the police department has indulged in protracted publicity for having initiated several measures to create safe environment for women, a police officer’s wife was struggling to get her complaint registered against the department’s own personnel for assault.
Shraddha Naik had to physically appear at the Porvorim police station on Wednesday to prove how seriously she was injured in the vicious attack on December 22, 2012 for no fault of hers. Naik recounted her agony to Herald and alleged that the policemen tried various tricks to sweep the case under the rug before finally charging Constable Sarvesh Chari with assault.
What provoked the attack was a prolonged argument between the constable and his wife, who lives with her cop brother (Shraddha’s husband) near O’Coqueiro junction.
“My sister-in-law (Chari’s wife) and myself stopped near O’Coqueiro junction for snacks when Chari came to us and began shouting at her. The couple got into an argument. Another constable intervened and it was stopped,” she narrated.
Little later, while both women were on the way to their house, Sharaddha claimed she was assaulted with an object on the left side of her face and fell unconsciousness near the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education office Porvorim and only gained consciousness at GMC Bambolim.
“After the altercation, we proceeded to our home. My sister-in-law was riding the bike, I was a pillion. All of sudden, someone hit me from behind. It was Chari. I fell unconscious,” she recalled with agonising pain adding that she was operated after bleeding due to head injury.
Shraddha Naik recounted how the police, registered a false case of accident and refused to register her complaint of assault by Chari. “If it was an accident, why only was I hurt? The injuries are not of an accident… I personally went to the police station risking to my health and filed a complaint against Chari,” she said accusing a PSI of calling her mentally unstable.
A case under section 324 of IPC (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) was thereafter registered against the constable this Wednesday.
A senior officer has however rubbished allegations of insensitivity by police, claiming the victim was not available for the statement recording.
“The head constable went to her at least thrice to record her statement… A case of accident was registered before on the basis of her husband’s statement. The sister-in-law had also deposed saying it was an accident. Why do we need to hush up the case?” asked the officer.
The Porvorim police said they promptly acted on Naik’s complaint and registered a case of assault against Chari. “We are verifying all facts of the case and have sought records from the GMC,” the officer informed.
