Mumbai : An inquiry under Unit IX of the Crime Branch has been set up after the victim in the Mayank Gandhi ‘molestation’ case met Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Dhanajay Kamalakar and submitted a letter saying she had never accused Gandhi of anything and that the FIR was incorrect.
In the letter submitted on Monday the 26-year-old woman has clarified that on September 19, she had gone to file a molestation complaint at Oshiwara police station against Tarun Singh, an ex-AAP member, a woman Ulfat and man called Sam. While Singh allegedly molested her, Ulfat threatened her against filing a complaint and Sam supported Singh.
The FIR with the Oshiwara police station, however, had named Gandhi, AAP state leader Ruben Masacarenhas and AAP volunteer Vinay Mishra as the abettors of the crime.
“An inquiry has been set up under the officers of the Unit IX of Crime Branch. It is too early to say what action will be taken against the officers responsible for filing the incorrect FIR. However, we will ensure that a fair probe is carried out,” said the Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sadanand Date. The woman was allegedly made to file a blank form by the officer taking her complaint. “I was in a hurry and the officer was very helpful, she said I could leave after filling some blank forms, which she would fill in later,” said the woman in her statement. The woman, an AAP volunteer, also said that it was her first time at a police station and she was not aware of the procedure of filing an FIR. She was accompanied by Sunil Shukla and a woman Rida who recommended filing a complaint in the first place. In a press note released by the AAP, the party has stated that Shukla, who along with some other people had encouraged the woman file the complaint, had quit AAP on September 18 and never told her about it. According to AAP, Shukla is trying to malign Gandhi through totally ‘false’ and ‘spurious’ charges.
AAP has alleged that after the victim left from the police station, Shukla and the people with him, “twisted her (the victim’s) statement and added the names of AAP leaders.” The victim has not even received a copy of the FIR, which every complainant is entitled to. She came to know about the FIR only through social media when an image of the FIR was circulated on Whatsapp.
She has now asked the police to remove Gandhi, Mascarhenas and Mishra’s names from the FIR and to take action against Singh and the other two accused Ulfat and Sam.
