----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Do GOACAN a favour, circulate this email to your family members, relatives, neighbours and friends. Help others be BETTER INFORMED. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Documented by Goa Desc Resource Centre (GDRC) Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------------------------------ Police brutality against minor girl comes to light ---------------------------------------------------------- A case of gut-wrenching police brutality against a minor girl has come to light and police higher-ups have instituted a departmental inquiry into the incident.
Allegedly, a 15-year old girl working as a maid, was picked by an all-male police team from the Calangute police station at 7.30 p.m., and kept in illegal detention overnight at the police station. She was beaten under the soles of her feet and made to run. She was also kicked in her stomach and back, was given electric shocks, deprived of food and threatened with torture of her private parts. She was not produced before any magistrate, nor was any record of her arrest made. These are the charges against Calangute police that are the subject of a departmental inquiry by a team headed by Bicholim deputy superintendent of police, Mr Shamba Sawant. The victim girl's torment would have been in vain had not her sister complained to a women's organisation about the alleged police torture of the minor girl. The women's organisation swiftly lodged a police complaint before the Director General of Police, Mr B S Brar, forcing the present inquiry. Moved by the girl's plight, the National Domestic Workers Movement – Goa unit, has now pledged to monitor the case until the end. The facts of the case, as related by NDWM, are as follows. The 15-year old girl hails from Orissa and was employed as a housemaid in Calangute. Following a complaint of theft against her by her employers, Calangute police picked her up on January 20, 2008 and subjected her to the above-mentioned brutality. Sadly, the girl's employers who lodged the complaint against her had not paid her wages for a long time. Outside intervention was necessary to recover her dues totalling Rs 18,000, sources said. The NDWM called a meeting of domestic workers at Mapusa last Sunday. A NDWM press release said that all the domestic workers have expressed support and solidarity with the victim. They have demanded that a fair inquiry into the violation of human rights be conducted and that the guilty be punished. When contacted for his comments, the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kishan Kumar was curt. He only said a departmental inquiry has been instituted under DySP, Mr Sawant and that it would be taken to its logical end. The DySP, Mr Sawant also declined to give details of the case. "This is not an investigation. This is a departmental inquiry. So I am not able to divulge details of the case,'' Mr Sawant said. --------------------------------------- The Navhind Times 12/02/08 page 2 --------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------- GOA CIVIC AND CONSUMER ACTION NETWORK ---------------------------------------------------------- promoting civic and consumer rights in Goa ---------------------------------------------------------- GOACAN Post Box 187 Margao, Goa 403 601 GOACAN Post Box 78 Mapusa, Goa 403 507 mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---------------------------------------------------------- __._,_.___
