PANAJI
A 55-year-old woman has accused a constable of making racist remarks at her and assaulting her mercilessly in full public view at Mapusa bus stand. In her complaint to the North Goa Superintendent of Police, the victim also alleged that Mapusa police are refusing to act on her complaint, which was accepted only after an NGO’s intervention.
The incident was reported on January 16, 2023, when around 11 am, the constable called her a ‘prostitute’ while enquiring why she was standing at the bus stand.
“Before I could respond, he started hitting me with a stick and verbally abusing me in front of the public. I begged him not to beat me, but he continued beating me, till I started bleeding from my right hand. When he saw me bleeding, he left me and went. I then called my friend, who took me to Asilo Hospital, Mapusa. I received 9 stitches,” she stated in her complaint to North SP Nidhin Valsan on Wednesday.
The victim further alleged that the local police initially refused to accept her complaint but thereafter, on NGO’s intervention, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against an ‘unknown person’ on simple charges.
“The case has been registered under section 323 IPC, whereas the injury caused to me is grievous in nature and a case should be registered under sec 325 IPC. The police personnel on duty was informed that the offender is a policeman but no effort was taken to search him instead the complaint has been registered against an “unknown person”. A photograph of the accused was also provided to the police, but action is awaited,” she stated, demanding strict action against the accused as well as his colleagues for refusing to act on the complaint.
