Sub-Inspector allows woman caught selling her newborn to walk free, asks alert citizen to get lost

Ranjit Mahanti

HERE is another story about the Mankhurd police station that proves beyond any doubt that it is by far the worst police station in Mumbai. A police sub-inspector (PSI) discouraged an alert citizen from remaining at the scene of a crime against an infant by its own mother while letting the woman caught red-handed selling her newborn baby walk away free.

The officer was identified as PSI Vijay Kumar Govind Kavale. It is learnt that Imamul Ansari (name changed to protect identity), a resident of Mankhurd and a newspaper vendor by profession, was on his job early in the morning below Mankhurd flyover on February 18. He overheard a plan to sell a two-day-old baby boy. He heard that a woman who had delivered in Shatabdi Hospital two days before wanted to sell the baby for Rs 1.25 lakh. Ansari immediately passed on the information to the Mumbai Police helpline. After some time, PSI Vijay Kavale met Ansari with a few colleagues. Kavale made a plan to arrest the accused and on February 18, 2016, around 8.30pm he succeeded in catching the accused near Baban Hotel, Sathe Nagar, Mankhurd (West). Kavale took three persons into the custody, including the woman, Kamar Jahan Moharram Ali Shaikh (23), her sister, Nasim Ayub Khan (32), and an auto driver, Afroz Amirjaan Shaikh (51), and he found they had the two-day-old baby boy with them. The accused are residents of Karbala Chawl, Mankhurd (West).

Discouraged Ansari

Just after the trap, Kavale congratulated and hugged Ansari for the information and the success of the trap. Kavale suggested Ansari leave the spot as he was going to the police station for further proceedings. A little later Kavale called Ansari. He told him that he could not register a case against the three persons as there was no criminal record against their name at the police station. This was their first attempt at crime and if he arrested Noor Jahan then who would take care of the baby? Kavale asked Ansari whether, in case of the arrest of Noor Jahan, he would take care of the baby. If the FIR were registered Ansari would be the complainant. His name would be highlighted and later he would have to make the rounds of court.

“Kavale ne kaha ki un logon ka koi criminal record nahin hai. Gareeb log hain. Pahli baar bachcha bechne ki koshish kar rahe the. Agar woman (maan) ko arrest karte hain to bachche ki dekh-bhal kaun karega. Tu (main) karega kya? Iss lafde me mat pad. Tera naam sab jagah highlight ho jayega. Nahin to court ke chakkar lagata firega,” said Ansari. A Shocked Ansari complained against Kavale to the Commissioner of Police, the Deputy Commissioner of Police and the Assistant Commissioner of Police through SMSs but did not get any response.

Sources said because Ansari complained to top cops, Kavale registered an FIR under sections 317, 511, 34 of the IPC and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, against the accused. Even more surprisingly, the second morning the auto driver met Ansari and told him that he had got bail for Rs 30,000 and the women, for Rs 50,000. Sources also revealed that Noor Jahan had sold her three other babies in the past.

Saddened by this type of behavior, Ansari says that he shall never pass on any information in the future to the police. This is the reality and drama of all the top cops who appeal to the common man be an alert citizen. After any big incident in the city, the top police officials ask the public to be alert against crimes though they themselves are unable to get a breakthrough in most cases. The police ask citizens to be alert and prevent such incidents, but do not do a thing themselves.

Mankhurd Police charge kidnapped girl’s parents Rs 30,000 for fuel used in a search operation On December 27, 2015, ABI (Akela Bureau of Investigation) has published an article under headline “Mankhurd Police charge kidnapped girl’s parents Rs 30,000 for fuel used in a search operation that’s designed to fail”, in which the police charged the parents of the kidnapped minor girl Rs 30,000 towards petrol and diesel costs they said they had incurred in the search operation launched for the victim.

On May 12, 2015, ABI (abinet.org) has published another article under the headline “Wanted molester spotted marrying in the area under nose of Mankhurd police” in which a wanted accused was spotted celebrating his marriage ceremony under the nose of Mankhurd police officials. As if that were not enough, the police registered an FIR after six months of the incident.