08, May 2017

The DNA
30 December 2009

Police
molested us, say 8 Godhra women

On dec 19, cops apparently
launched a series of wanton attacks

DNA
Correspondent.Ahmedabad

A
distraught Aminabibi Sharmaya of Hathila in Godhra on Tuesday made a
startling revelation to the media. She alleged that she was
assaulted and molested by a group of policemen on the night of
December 19.

Sharmaya told mediapersons: “They came to my home and attacked my
mother. They also attacked my child. They did not even listen to me
when I told them that I had just delivered the baby.” Sharmaya’s
baby was only 19 days old when the incident happened
Sharmaya was not alone. At least eight women of the area have
alleged that on that day, police personnel entered their homes on
the pretext of arresting an accused in a cow theft case, assaulted
and molested them, and even looted their homes. In fact, police had
come looking for one Saoud Badam who had been absconding for 14
months.
Mohammed Hanif, a farmer who stood by the women after the incident,
said: “They misbehaved with the women. When we went to the hospital
to get the women medically examined, I was told by one doctor that I
would be booked for possession of narcotics if I spoke too much.”

In their memorandum to the district collector and magistrate of
Godhra, the clergy and leaders of the minority community have
alleged that the police were trying to nab Badam in Geni plot around
10 pm on December 19. “But when Badam fled, the police moved into
Hathila plot falling under ‘B’ division of Godhra town police. The
policemen forcibly entered a number of Muslim houses and started
looting gold and silver ornaments,” the memorandum says.

The memorandum adds: “The policemen molested women and dragged them
out of from their homes. The kingpin of the hooligans were a PI, PSI
AV Parmar, constable Suresh, constable Prabhatsinh and constable
Parvatsinh.”

Later, the women were taken by the police to the lock-up after which
they were produced in a magisterial court the next day for allegedly
pelting stones on policemen. The magistrate directed that the women
be medically examined by a woman doctor. The court also ordered that
action be taken against police officers under section 202 of CrPC.
The court also recorded the statements of eight women who were
allegedly assaulted and abused by the police.

Addressing mediapersons,
Teesta
Setalvad of Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP)

said on Tuesday that a fax had been sent to the home minister,
governor and appropriate authorities about the incident. She however
demanded that the state government initiate a departmental inquiry
against all those police officers involved in the incident.
She said that a delegation of residents of Godhra and victims had
also met ADGP (law and order) Sudhir Sinha on Tuesday. When
contacted, DGP SS Khandwawala said: “We will inquire into the
matter. Appropriate action will be taken.”