Over a year later, Parksite cops file another FIR for molestation

This time against 2 area officers and a guard of G4S Security, after yet another female security guard alleged that the latter sexually assaulted her in the washroom in Jan 2012

Following MiD DAY’s report about how the Parksite police took over 15 months to file an FIR after a female security guard complained to them of molestation by colleagues, they lodged another belated FIR against three employees of the same security firm for a crime committed a year and a half ago.

The 32-year-old security guard (left) who said the security guard of her company tried to rape her; her friend (right) had also filed an FIR against u00a0her colleagues of the same firm, alleging molestation Pic/Suresh KK

Victim Deepa Gandhi (name changed) alleged that while the accused had attempted to rape her, the police booked them on the charges of molestation. On Friday, after the complaint by Gandhi, Parksite police station in Vikhroli booked Ganesh Pawar (33), Prashant Sawant (42) and Vishal Sonavane (34) under sections 354 (assault to outrage woman’s modesty), 504 (insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (acts done by several person) of the Indian Penal Code. Sawant and Sonavane are area officers in G4S Security Services India Pvt Ltd, while Pawar is a security guard.

According to the copy of the FIR with MiD DAY, 32-year-old Gandhi, a resident of Dombivli, had been working for G4S since 2008 as a guard. On January 22, 2012 she was on duty at a company situated in Vikhroli (West). Around 7.30 pm while she was changing in the ladies’ washroom, Pawar entered the loo and tried to rape her. Gandhi resisted him and shouted for help. Listening to the commotion, another guard Manoj Ghugardare rushed to the washroom and pulled Pawar out.

“Pawar was drunk. He was trying to rape me so I slapped him but he slapped me thrice in front of the other staff,” said Gandhi. She complained to the area officers Sawant and Sonavane. However, on January 24, 2012 managing director KS Joshi and vice president Anil Suryavanshi issued her a termination letter. Thereafter, Gandhi went into a deep trauma, which caused her to slip into fits and seek medical treatment. “I am still shocked. I was mentally tortured. Rather than acting against the accused, the company fired me,” said Gandhi.

Since then, she has complained to several authorities including the G4S management, the Mumbai police and the state women’s commission but none of the authorities took cognisance of her case. “The application was pending since over a year ago. We registered the FIR on Friday. We will take a decision soon,’ said Sudhakar Sakpal, senior inspector, Parksite police station. Incidentally, on Saturday, G4S sent a letter to Gandhi, ordering her to join duty in 24 hours at Oberoi Hotel.

The other side
“I am not aware of Gandhi’s police complaint, nor do I know anything about a resuming letter issued to her,” said Sudhakar Surve, HR manager, G4S, and disconnected the line.u00a0

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