Team Herald
PANJIM: Bailancho Saad has condemned alleged police brutality, illegal arrest on false charges and other human rights violations committed on a rape survivor at the Mapusa Police Station.
Bailancho Saad convenor Sabina Martins speaking to the media informed that rape survivor who is also the complainant, when she went to enquire about the summons with which the Mapusa Police had gone to her residence, she was verbally abused with filthy language and told to get out, kicked brutally, mobile grabbed falsely accusing that she was recording.
“Her belongings were taken away, she was put in police lockup, not allowed to call lawyer, not allowed to call her daughter to get pads as she had her periods, not allowed her medicines leading to life threatening situation even after banging her head on the bars of police lockup. She was given her asthalin for asthma only after she removed her clothes in protest. When she was still not allowed to call her daughter and on again removing her clothes, the police called her teenage daughter at 7.30 pm,” Sabina alleged.
Stating that when the victim was produced for hearing, she told the judge that she was not allowed to call her lawyer, Sabina said, “She was told she cannot call a lawyer when in lockup. Every accused has a right to call lawyer. Her teenage daughter had to call friends, sell her mobile to arrange money for surety. No legal aid was provided. She remained in judicial custody for another three nights.”
She further informed that after the judicial custody, the victim lost her job due to the false reports and character assassination, disclosing her name and address so that she loses her place of stay too. “The survivor stated that the horrific human rights violations have been done because she has complained against police and officials in the judiciary, to higher authorities with regards to handling of the Section 376 case. There are pressures to withdraw the case”, Sabina informed.
