Man continues to stalk and threaten woman as cops refuse to take action

Mumbai : Six months after a 34 year-old widow was molested in July last year and was made to run from pillar to post to get a First Information Report (FIR) registered, the Shivaji Nagar police have finally registered a case of molestation against the accused. Due to police inaction, the accused continues to stalk the lady every day and has threatened to kill her and her two children.

The complainant, Roopa Kadam (name changed on request) had registered a First Information on July 30 last year at Shivaji Nagar police station. However, earlier the police had completely omitted the section for molestation in the FIR.

Speaking to the Free Press Journal, Kadam said, “The Shivaji Nagar police had earlier purposely omitted Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the IPC in FIR. They have registered the FIR only under voluntarily causing hurt Section 323, word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman (Section 509). The police had not taken any action against the molester Ganesh Prasad who had touched me inappropriately.”

Kadam added, “The police have deliberately not added the Section 354 of IPC. Ganesh Prasad had touched me inappropriately on my chest and managed to get a bail earlier only because the police did not book him under Section 354, which is a non-bailable offence.”

Initially, the police had only recorded a non-cognisable offence. Later, with the help of a local Member of Legislative Council, an FIR was registered. However, Ganesh was released on bail next day.

Kadam further alleges that Ganesh has been harassing her even now. “He resides in my neighbourhood and continues to harass me. He has been stalking me every day on my way back from work., “said Kadam.

Kadam has mentioned in the FIR that her children used to play at a nearby ground every evening. Ganesh along with his friends would smoke ganja where the children played and was violent with the children. “Once he slapped my 6 year–old son under the influence of drugs and I reprimanded him for it. In a fit of rage, he touched me inappropriately.”

Speaking to the Free Press Journal, a police officer from Shivaji Nagar police station said, “An FIR was registered. We had arrested the accused on July 30. He was produced in court and granted bail. We have summoned the victim to the police station in the coming week to record an additional statement.”