Maharashtra: Tribal women demand suspension of Vasai cop accused of thrashing 6 daily wagers

Tribal women protest outside Vasai police station on Thursday. Pic/Hanif Patel

A Posse of policemen watched as tribal women shouted slogans outside Vasai police station on Thursday, demanding immediate suspension of a cop accused of assaulting six women suspecting them of being pickpockets. The protest came a day after mid-day reported the alleged thrashing of tribal women inside Papdi police chowkie at the hands of API Vinod Wagh. Even senior police officers acknowledge off the record that Wagh was at fault.

The protesters shout slogans in Vasai on Thursday. Pic/Hanif Patel

A large group of tribal women gathered at the ST Bus depot in the morning before marching to the police station. "We have pressed our demands for immediate action against API Wagh who assaulted the women for no reason. The protesting tribal women sloganeered against the police during their 2-km protest march," said Sheru Wagh, the Vasai Taluka secretary of the Marxist Leninist Party of India (Red Flag), also known as Laal Bavta. "How can an officer cane tribal women for no reason? It is a clear case of police high-handedness. The six tribal women were forcibly pushed into an autorickshaw by API Wagh. We have demanded that a case be registered under section 354 [outraging a woman's modesty] of the IPC and the SC/ST Act against the policeman who has clearly misused his powers," Sheru Wagh told mid-day.

API Wagh was transferred to the control room of the MBVV police after his alleged abuse of power surfaced. "His transfer is a mere eyewash. We want his immediate suspension and the matter needs to be investigated by an independent agency as we have learnt that API Wagh has been influencing the inquiry against him," he said.

A senior police officer told mid-day that the inquiry against API Wagh is underway and the report would be submitted in the next few days. "Somewhere API Wagh is at fault as he did not inform his seniors immediately after six women were hauled to the Papdi police chowkie. Also, he should have asked for women officers if he had to question women suspects," said the officer, who did not wish to be named.

"The matter is being blown out of proportion as we have to work out of the way to solve many cases, else the detection rate will be negligible; but in some matters the role of a police officer is projected in a bad light, while in others the cops' work is appreciated," said the officer. He added, "API Wagh will surely have to face a departmental crackdown for the mistakes he has done." When asked if API Wagh will be placed under suspension as a part of punishment, the officer said, "Suspension will be huge but he might be sent under forced leave; it depends on the enquiry report."