Five days after a brutal assault at the Mapusa-Bastora junction, the emotional trauma lingers for Vivek and Shruthi Shirodkar, a young couple who were mercilessly beaten by a group of nearly 15 individuals as dozens of bystanders looked on without intervening.
Speaking to O Heraldo, Shruthi, who is three months pregnant, shared how the attack came just a day before they were to go for their first prenatal scan. “We were so excited to hear our baby’s heartbeat,” she said. “We never imagined we’d be beaten on the street like criminals.”
The incident began as a verbal dispute but escalated into violence on a Monday afternoon. Married for just over a year after eight years of courtship, the couple were left bruised and shaken. Shruthi recalled throwing herself over her husband to protect him: “They were going to kill him. I couldn’t let that happen.”
Vivek, worried that filing a police complaint might trigger retaliation, said he was more concerned about his wife's safety than his own. “The blows didn’t matter. I just wanted her and our baby to be okay.”
Shruthi’s voice trembled as she remembered the helplessness she felt: “I was terrified I’d bring this child into the world without a father.” Despite repeated pleas to the crowd of 30 or more people nearby, no one stepped in to help as attackers dragged her by the hair and repeatedly threw her aside.
After the assault, they returned to their food cart, closed up, and rode home on their two-wheeler. Initially hesitant to report the crime, they eventually filed a complaint after a relative gave them courage. Shruthi later had to be rushed to hospital after vomiting due to the stress.
“We are trying to focus on our baby — this child is the fruit of eight years of love,” she said, determined yet visibly bruised.
The incident has sparked concern in the local community, with many expressing shame over the public apathy. As neighbours stop by the Shirodkar home to offer support, one elderly woman summed up the mood: “Hi amchi paristhiti” — This is our fate.