Shivaji Nagar police assaulted minors: NGO

MUMBAI: A non-governmental organisation (NGO) working on children’s issues has alleged that the Shivaji Nagar police in Govandi assaulted five minor children including four girls detained on suspicion of theft on March 8. The children were beaten on their hands, backs, and the soles of their feet with belts and batons; one girl bore injury marks near her ear, another girl injured her shoulder, while the boy was assaulted badly on his sole, the NGO said. The police denied the allegations and claimed they had CCTV footage to support their stand. Members of the NGO, Child Safety Forum, claimed that they had taken the children for a medical check-up and the matter was being handled by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). The CWC has demanded an explanation from the Shivaji Nagar police and asked them to submit a report on the entire episode, they said.

Bapurao Deshmukh, senior inspector attached to the Shivaji Nagar police station said they would submit CCTV footage to the CWC along with the report to support their claim.

“The children were brought to the police station along with their parents and were questioned in the presence of their parents. CCTV cameras are installed in the police station, and we will submit our reports along with relevant CCTV footage as evidence in support of our claim to the CWC,” said Deshmukh.

According to the police, on March 8, after a woman filed a complaint about a theft of ₹70,000, the police checked CCTV footage of the spot and detained some youngsters from Jai Ambe Nagar near Chheda Nagar in Chembur who were present at the time of the theft.