‘Human rights activists’ beat up woman cop, seven arrested

A woman Assistant Police Inspector (API) attached to the Virar police station in Thane (rural) was allegedly assaulted by a group claiming to be human rights activists on Sunday night. Seven persons, including three women, were subsequently arrested. The woman police officer has been admitted to a private hospital with serious injuries.

The victim, API Priyatma Muthe of Virar police station was registering a case involving a minor couple. The couple had allegedly secretly married, and the girl's parents had approached the police to register a case of kidnapping against the boy.

Muthe said she was trying to resolve the matter and talk to both parties to send the girl back to her parents, but some persons, claiming to be members of a human rights organisation, Manav Seva Dal, stormed into her cabin. They said they had been called by the boy's parents, Muthe told the police. She allegedly had a heated argument with the members of the organisation. When Muthe ordered them to leave the premises, the accused allegedly assaulted her.

Before Muthe could react, the mob slapped her so hard that her hearing was impaired, police said. An officer said the accused also tried to tear Muthe's uniform, at which point she called for help and her colleagues rescued her.

The arrested have been identified as Sayed Imtiaz Usman (38), Afzal Sheikh (32), Sunny Walia (25), Tabbassum Sayed (26), Afreen Sayed (22), Fehmida Shaikh (40) and Manoj Vishwakarma (29). The accused will be produced before the Vasai sessions court on Tuesday.

The police are investigating whether the human rights organisation is registered with the government. "We are investigating the case further," said an officer. The doctors at Sanjeevani Hospital said Muthe sustained injuries to her ear, and is being kept under observation.

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