Mankhurd Police charge kidnapped girl’s parents Rs 30,000 for fuel used in a search operation that’s designed to fail

Bhagyashree Phodkar

HERE is another story of the Mankhurd police station that proves beyond doubt that it is by far the worst police station in Mumbai: officers here charged a kidnapped girl’s parents Rs 30,000 towards petrol and diesel costs they said they had incurred in the search operation launched for the victim. The officers also proved that besides being in the habit of illegally taking money, they are also either plain incompetent or have no intention of solving the case, as the girl remains kidnapped.

It is said that the police are fully aware of whom the kidnapper is but still they registered an FIR against an unknown person. They also claim that the girl is a major and not a minor. On November 21, the police registered the FIR (copy with ABI) under section 363 (kidnapping) of the IPC against an unknown person. Sub-Inspector Sarita Musale is investigating the matter.

According to the FIR, on November 21 the parents found their 16-years-old girl missing. They looked around and learnt that man called Mohsin Khan (23) had kidnapped her. Mohsin himself called the parents and told them that the girl was with him. “Do not look for us,” Mohsin said to them. The parents then rushed to Mohsin’s home, where his grandmother met them. They requested her to ask Mohsin to return their daughter, but she said, “If both (girl and Mohsin) are agree to it, why are you not letting them marry?”

“Maine Mohsin ki dadi ke pair pakde, roya aur kaha ki dadi meri bahan ko lauta do. Dadi ne kaha ki yadi dono shadi karna chahte hain to karne do,” said the girl’s brother.

The kidnapped girl’s cousin, an 11-year-old girl, talked over the phone to Mohsin. “Mohsin threatened her, saying, ‘Zyada mat bol, nahin to tujhe bhi kidnap kar lunga.’”

The girl’s brother also requested Mohsin to release her, but he said, “Tension mat le. Pahle teri bahan ko Musalman banaunga. Masjid me nikah karunga aur ek mahine baad lakar chhod dunga.”

The parents rushed to Mankhurd police station. There they saw the real face of the Mumbai police. After a lot of effort the police registered an FIR, but against an unknown person and not against Mohsin. They also noted down the wrong age for the girl to show her a major. The parents produced her birth certificate (copy with ABI) from Good Shepherd English High School, Mankhurd, that stated that her birth date is July 2, 1999, and that she bears a good moral character.

Rs 30,000 fuel charges on search operation

After registering an FIR, the police think their duty is over. So the parents rushed to the ACP and the DCP and also Umesh Singh, a Chembur District Vice President of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). VHP has plan took morcha on police station mentioning it is purely “Love Jihad” and also negligence of police.

It was only then that Senior Inspector Nasir Ahmed Abdul Hamid Shaikh awakened from his deep sleep and started to investigate. First Shaikh gave “Moral Gyan” to VHP workers to show the incident was not “Love Jihad”.

The police called Mohsin’s mother, a former bar dancer, to the police station. She behaved like an actress and said, “Mera beta mere kahne me nahin hain. Use arrest karo. Chahe goli maar do ya fansi de do.” Mohsin’s father had committed suicide at the Colaba police station lock-up. He was arrested for raping his own daughter.

Police started searching and after some days they charged the parents of the girl Rs 30,000 for fuel used in police vehicle. The kidnapped girl’s 55-year-old father is a very poor man. He is a resident of Ekta Nagar, Mankhurd, and a native of district Saint Kabir Nagar, Uttar Pradesh. He is a labourer. Now they have no more money to spend on the police.

Senior Inspector Nasir Ahmed Abdul Hamid Shaikh dismissed the matter lightly, saying there were a lot of kidnapping or missing girl cases in the Mankhurd area. “More than 70 girls have run away with their boyfriends. I don’t remember the particular issue, but the boy (kidnapper) and girl (victim) were in love for many days. Where were the family members when the boy gifted clothes to the girl? The girl’s parents are using Bajrang Dal (VHP) workers to pressure us. Our team looked in Sewree, Baramati and Titwala. I don’t know about the Rs 30,000 charged to the victim’s family. Another officer is investigating the matter,” he said.

Umesh Singh said, “We had a plan to take a morcha to the police station. We cancelled it after meeting Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Bharat Tambe, who assured us that they would find the girl in two days. He also instructed Senior Inspector Nasir Ahmed Abdul Hamid Shaikh accordingly, but nothing happened. Police are not serious about the issue as lots of girls are missing from the area. This particular girl is a minor but Shaikh is trying to show she is a major. We will soon organize a morcha against Commissioner of Police Ahmed Javed.”