Rescue & Actions by Snehalays
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Can Indian Army Jawans’ commit this heinous crime
Ahmednagar :
Date :
It was Saturday, 10th, May 2008 about 8 Army Jawans from Armed Core Centre and School (ACC & S) entered in Bhagat Galli red light in a very defiant mood and under state of heavy alcohol. Usually the women in red light areas of Ahmednagar avoid the drunken customers because these customers do not agree to adopt methods for safe sex to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. Hence women were reluctant to serve these unruly customers. As the Jawans started being physical forcing the women, all of them ran for shelter in a brothel owned by Suman Dagwale. The brothel was fenced and protected with two doors of steel. But the Jawans used their physical strength to start breaking the doors..
No sooner than this unfortunate event was being carried out, Snehalaya got the message from the red light area and immediately the Police control room was informed. Police personnel from Kotwali Police Station promptly arrived at the site. In an unusual earnest behavior police requested the drunken Jawans overpowering helpless women to leave the red light area. Snehalaya's volunteers and the employees and volunteers of Snehjyot Mukta Project insisted for the immediate arrest of the Jawans but Police neglected the request. As the police returned to Police station thinking to have completed their task, within 10 minutes Jawans re-entered the red light area with a vengeance.
Mrs. Lata Dattu Kashid, 43 yrs old women was not in the premise when this unruly scene had occurred and she had just stepped in. She was preparing food and helping the victim women in their domestic work. She was caught by this group of Jawans who had comeback with more vigor and brutality. Venkatesh Dwandwawadi, (34 yrs. Dist. Prakasham, A.P.) and two others raped her in the passage one by one. The Snehalaya volunteers rushed to help Latabai, caught all the three rapists and preceded to handover them to the police station. . Two of them ran away while commuting to the police station, but Venkatesh couldn’t flee. This happened at 10:20 PM Latabai and all 40 women demanded;
• Immediate arrest of the Jawans,
• Medical examination of Latabai and Jawans
• Filing the FIR complaint..
The Police Station Incharge Mr. Laxman Rakh’s response to Latabai was highly unexpected. He discouraged her to file a complaint as she would have to attend the court and visit Police station numerous times. He also said that a rape case can not be register if it happens in red light area with not a minor woman. Snehalaya's volunteers having some knowledge of Indian laws showed the references of law and persuaded the PSI to adhere to the laws. However the police didn’t pay any heed to the requests made by the Snehalaya volunteers.
In the midnight at 1:00 PM the officers of ACC & S came to police station to protect their Jawans. Meanwhile the two other rapists also had the audacity to come to Police station to demand the release of their companion. Snehalaya volunteers demanded the arrest of the other two rapists who were present in the premise of the police station but the demand was neglected and both the Indian army Jawans fled away from the Police station. The Army officers called Latabai inside the police station alone with the help of PSI,Mr. Rakh and gave her life threats if she continued her demand to file an FIR. Latabai could not write and read. Police and Army officers forced her to give her thumb on blank papers. Then they declared that Latabai had withdrawn her complaint of rape at 5.30 am in the morning. The victim women and the volunteers of Snehalaya were forcibly ousted by Police from the police station.. Hence the complaint wasn’t lodged.
Next morning on 11th, May 2008 at 9:30 AM, all the Snehalaya volunteers and victim women decided to stage a Dharana in front of Kotwali Police to condemn the harassment of raped womedn and collusion of police with the rapist Jawans. Ultimately Police Inspector Tukaram Wahile agreed to file FIR at 3 PM only17 hrs, after the incident. Police applied Clause 376 (G, 2) and two others of the IPC. Now Latabai is provided sheltered in Snehalaya. She is under great fear and couldn’t forget the horrific experience. The Jawans were photographed by mobile cameras and a complaint was made to higher Army authorities with this evidence. Till this date the Army has not handed over the three accused Jawans to Police for further investigation. The Police are afraid of entering the premises of Army to arrest the rapists. The regional and national electronic media has given wide coverage to the issue. Snehalaya has also appealed to the Human Right Commission.
Who will punish the people in uniform? The question comes up every now and then and gets into the pages of History. These people who commit the act and also who protect them bring shame to those great Jawans and officers who have laid their lives serving the nation….. …..