Stripping of Dalit women: Chargesheet filed against upper caste neighbours
Sukanya Shetty Posted online: Mon Dec 27 2010, 22:36 hrs
Mumbai : Over two years after two women were allegedly thrashed and
almost stripped by their upper caste neighbours, the Wadala TT police
have filed two separate cases under the Prevention of Atrocity Act.
In 2008, Urmilla Lunwara, a municipal school teacher, and Mamta
Makhwana were allegedly assaulted and almost stripped for questioning
the periodic demands by a few upper caste neighbours of a "building
maintenance" for their MHADA Colony houses in Wadala.
Last week, Wadala TT police filed two separate chargesheets, naming
the same persons as accused. The two women had demanded separate cases
to be be filed.
According to the police, Makhwana had directly challenged the accused
and Lunwara had come in their line of fire for taking the side of
Makhwana in the fight.
In July, 2008, one of the accused, Ram Das allegedly demanded the
maintenance money from Makhwana. "Like always, he demanded the money.
My family was fed up with the constant demand and I decided to not pay
and questioned on what grounds was he making the demand from the
residents. He assaulted me. His family joined him in the act,"
Makhwana's statement to the police reads.
Das and his wife Anju, besides Ram Kolarkar, Shalan Kolarkar, Sonal
Kolarkar, Rajendra Pai and Rahul Pai, allegedly attacked Makhwana.
According to Makhwana's statement and police investigation, the
accused had on several instances passed casteist comments at
Makhwana's family, which belongs to the denotified Meghwal community.
Lunwara also alleged that the accused had on several instances made
casteist comments at her and her family. "It's primarily an upper
caste colony. Few Dalit families live here. They have been pressuring
us to sell our houses to them. When we ignored their demand, they
attacked us. It was not a sudden outburst but a well planned attack to
intimidate us," says Lunwara.
Lunwara alleged, "The police refused to file our complaint for several
months. Finally, we approached the Additional Commissioner of Police,
and the complaints were registered."
Sadanand Date, the then Additional Commissioner of Police, directed
the police to register the complaint.
Police have booked all the accused under several sections of the
Atrocities Act along with the sections of the Indian Penal Code for
assault, outraging the modesty of a woman and criminal intimidation.
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