Mumbai: Guard beats up mother, son for taking dog into housing society

This should take the cake for violence over a ridiculous reason. Kandivli resident Lona Pinto and her son were allegedly assaulted by their watchman for entering the premises with their pet dog. The fracas ensued simply because Pinto entered from a gate of a building whose residents are not happy to have pets around.

Kandivli resident Lona Pinto and her pet dog

When she approached the Samta Nagar police, they filed a non-cognisable offence and sent her packing. They changed it to an FIR only after mid-day inquired why a proper complaint hadn't been filed.

Narrating the incident, Pinto, a resident of Orchid building inside the Valley of Flowers complex in Thakur Village, said that on
September 24, when she entered from the gate of Cosmos building with her son and pet, the watchman, Shivkumar Mishra, 60, pushed and slapped her.

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"He stopped us in a very inappropriate manner and said that residents of Cosmos building had instructed him to not allow pets from other wings entry from their gate. When I protested, he started beating my son and slapped me," said Pinto, who then went to Samta Nagar police station.

"There, the duty officer was non-cooperative. I asked him to conduct a medical examination for evidence, but he refused and said we merely had scratches on our bodies. Instead of filing an FIR, they closed the matter with an NC offence."

NGO intervenes
When even a week later there was no development or update from the police, on October 7, Pinto approached the People for Animals (NGO) for help. After the NGO's intervention, CCTV footage of the incident, where the watchman can be seen beating up Pinto and her son, was taken to the police. But because a medical examination hadn't been done, an FIR for physical assault couldn't be filed.

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"The society should take a strong stand against anything involving harassment of women, children or any living being. If we don't stop such things or stand up for others, our own can be next," said Nirali Koradia from People for Animals.

In response, and countering what Pintos had said, one of the committee members of the society, said, "There were no such instructions given to the watchman, that pets from other buildings can't enter from a gate. We have sacked him and also submitted CCTV footage of the incident to the police."

Entry gate of Cosmos building of Valley of Flowers complex in Thakur Village, Kandivli East. Pic/ Falguni Agarwal

No comment
After mid-day called up the Samta Nagar police, they called Pinto and her husband to the police station to lodge an FIR. "On Wednesday evening, we took down her statement and filed an FIR under sections 354 and 323 of the IPC over use of criminal force and assaulting a woman with intent to outrage her modesty. On Thursday, around 3 pm, we arrested the watchman," said Anil Mane, senior inspector.

When asked about Pinto's allegation, that the duty officer had refused to get a medical examination done, he refused to comment.

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