In a shocking incident that took place on the evening of March 13, a young biker Akash Deshpande, 24, a resident of Tejpal scheme, Vile Parle East was allegedly harassed by Mumbai Police for inquiring a lady police officer for not wearing a helmet while driving. The incident took place when Akash was riding his bike with his friend Ruchit Kasde, 20, when he noticed that a lady police officer driving next to him had no safety helmet and was talking on the phone. He was slapped with a fine of Rs 1250 for misbehaviour with a police officer on duty and later taken to the police station.
“I was passing by when I saw a cop on a bike where she was not wearing a helmet. So, I inquired. A few kilometers later, she came back and asked me with authority that who was I question her. She called for a mobile van and took me to the police station where I was heavily penalized and made to squat on the floor like criminals for half an hour,” he said.
Akash was petrified after the entire incident. He narrated the entire ordeal in a facebook post along with the picture of the fine receipt. The post garnered 2700 likes and multiple shares, with numerous people calling it a defect in the lawmaking. He was contacted by the police station to pay a visit after the post became viral, which he abstained from doing.
“I’ll go the higher authority to seek justice. It is not about the money, it is about my self-respect. I was insulted and inhumanly treated by the police. If general citizens cannot question the guardians and lawmakers of the country, then who will? I had a valid query. I did not misbehave with them nor did I use any indecent language,” he added.
Laxman Chavan, Senior Inspector, Vile Parle police station confirmed the fine slapped against the duo, but ridiculed the allegations made by the youth, “We found them making public nuisance. So, we fined them as per the Bombay Police Act. Our lady officer had not violated any traffic rules. This is a concocted story.”
