Mumbai, Feb 27 (Indian Express): Days after a police constable in Latur was assaulted by a mob, another embarrassing episode involving the uniform emerged in Thane. A video grab showed a woman traffic constable being thrashed in public by a man, who the police have identified as a local Shiv Sena leader from Dharamveer Nagar, Thane.

The police have pressed charges of molestation against Shashikant Kalgude, with the incident reported to have taken place on Thursday around 11 am.

The video from a closed circuit camera, which went viral, shows Kalgude alighting from a Scorpio (MH06 BE7340) on the main junction near Thane Municipal Corporation and slapping the lady constable at least six times.

No one is seen helping the constable for some time, even as Kalgude continues to assault her in the middle of busy traffic.
The 2007-batch lady constable, meanwhile, reported to duty Friday manning the traffic in the same junction.

Soon after the video emerged, the alliance partner in the state and ruling party in Thane Municipal Corporation, Shiv Sena distanced itself from Kalgude repeatedly stressing that he was a “former” Shiv Sena shakha pramukh.

The Naupada police are probing into the episode and Kalgude was sent to judicial custody on Friday. Local Shiv Sena members though confirmed that Kalgude continues to be a shakha pramukh and owns a vada pav stall in Teen Haat Naka, Thane. The traffic constable was posted along with a constable and a home guard personnel at the intersection near the corporation, which is the busiest stretch during morning hours.

In her statement, she has told the police that she was assigned to direct the traffic which comes from Teen Haat Naka towards the highway, when the Scorpio was spotted at 11.15 am. “He was speaking on the phone and driving, which is against the law, and was asked to halt. He abused me first and asked me why he should give his licence. I chased his vehicle for a distance.

When he stopped and alighted, he started pushing me by my right shoulder.

Then he began slapping and manhandling me and, finally, attempted to remove my steel name tag from my uniform. That is when I felt he was attacking my modesty,” said the lady constable. A few pedestrians intervened and restrained Kalgude until more officers arrived at the spot.

The constable was reportedly bleeding from her nose. “We have sent a proposal to RTO seeking permanent cancellation of his driving licence,” said Rashmi Karandikar, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Thane (Traffic).

“Strict action will be taken against the accused. Preventive measures under Section 110 of the Criminal Procedure Code has already been evoked. We have approached the RTO seeking that the driver licence of the accused be permanently cancelled as he has assaulted a woman officer.” “… he is currently lodged at Thane Central Jail.

Though the Shiv Sena deny that he is not a party worker, we believe otherwise since he has made several posters for them and also seen on party-affiliated posters in Thane,” said M S Bagga, senior police inspector Naupada police.

According to her colleagues, the constable is the mother of a four-year-old son and has been attached with the Thane traffic police since the last six years. “She is very brave. We all saw the video and learnt of the matter. Kalgude was thrice her size and she still took him on.

It is shameful that no one came sooner to help her. A woman’s dignity was threatened and that is how society reacted,” said a senior colleague of the constable, who spent an hour with her on Thursday at the civic hospital while she was being treated. The first to react was Shiv Sena youth wing leader Aaditya Thackeray, who on Friday termed the incident of former Sena leader physically beating a woman cop as very shameful.

He tweeted that the incident had no political backing and the sticker in the vehicle does not denote he is an officebearer. “Irrespective of who the person is, the party would urge the law to take strong action and deal firmly. We would like to mention that the person who misbehaved with the women constable is not an officebearer of our party.

But irrespective of background, the party strongly supports firm action against this person.” Eknath Shinde, Guardian Minister and senior Shiv Sena leader from Thane, too was quick to add. “Presently he is not a shakha pramukh. After getting to know this, I have asked the police officials to take stern action against him. Neither I nor Shiv Sena support or endorse this act.

Bal Thackeray has always taught us to respect women.” “Uddhav Thackeray is going to take action against him,” said Shinde.