Women Lawyers Approach Bombay HC Seeking Action Against Assaulting Police Officers

Two lawyers who were attacked inside the Antop Hill police station in Mumbai last month have approached the Bombay High Court with their case. Advocates Sadhana Yadav and Harikesh Mishra have submitted a plea requesting the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) against Senior police officer Nasir Kulkarni and other staff members present during the incident.

As per the plea, on May 18 at approximately 2 pm, Sadhana Yadav contacted the police helpline to report harassment she faced from two individuals regarding the use of a shared restroom in her office. The petition alleges that when Yadav visited the police station to file a complaint against the two individuals, Kulkarni and his subordinates subjected her to assault and unlawfully detained her for several hours.

Despite numerous appeals to higher-ranking police authorities, the plea states that no First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against the implicated policemen. Yadav and Mishra are demanding that FIRs be lodged against the involved officers for offenses punishable under Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 354 (assault or criminal force with intent to outrage her modesty).

After the assault incident, Nasir Kulkarni was transferred to the city traffic department, and a departmental inquiry was initiated against the on-duty officers during that time. However, the lawyers assert that the department failed to take appropriate action against the accused officers. Consequently, they are now calling for the immediate suspension of the implicated policemen and also requesting access to the CCTV footage both inside and outside the police station.

It is worth noting that their case is presently being addressed by the Maharashtra Human Rights Commission and the National Commission for Women.