API slaps lawyer four times for accidentally pushing him
The lawyers on Wednesday spoke to senior police officers about the incident. “The officers first denied that a police officer assaulted Jhala. The victim then identified Geete after which the senior police inspector apologised to Jhala, even the crime police inspector apologised but Geete showed no remorse
MUMBAI: A group of lawyers practising in the metropolitan magistrate court in Borivali reached the Kandivali police station on Wednesday to demand action against an assistant police inspector who assaulted a lawyer on Tuesday night.
The incident occurred when advocate Prithvi Jhala accidentally pushed API Hemant Geete while entering an officer’s cabin at the Kandivali police station.
Geete, who was in plain clothes got furious and slapped Jhala multiple times.
Jhala said that he went to the police station at 8pm as his friend’s sister had been arrested for an accident and he had gone there to bail her out. “As soon as I reached the police station, I was asked by a woman police officer to wait outside her cabin for my turn,” said Jhala.
Jhala sat on the bench outside and after his friend told him he was being summoned, he got up to enter the investigation officer’s cabin. “As I was entering the cabin, Geete, in plain clothes, was coming out of the cabin and while entering the cabin I accidentally pushed him,” said Jhala.
Jhala said he apologised to Geete and told the officer that he was a lawyer. “The officer reacted upon hearing the word lawyer and slapped me four times,” said Jhala.
Imam Nanubhai, a lawyer and Jhala’s colleague said, “I received a call from Jhala that he was being assaulted at the police station. I told him to wait for me and as soon as we reached the police station Jhala said that the officer had gone upstairs.”
The lawyers on Wednesday spoke to senior police officers about the incident. “The officers first denied that a police officer assaulted Jhala. The victim then identified Geete after which the senior police inspector apologised to Jhala, even the crime police inspector apologised but Geete showed no remorse,” said Nanubhai.
“We were not going to take any action against him, had Geete apologised,” said Nanubhai.
The lawyers then approached the deputy commissioner of police who promised them that an enquiry would be conducted into the matter and until then, Geete would proceed on leave. “We have now filed a query under the Right To Information Act to get the CCTV recording of the police station of the relevant time,” said Nanubhai.
Dinkar Jadhav, senior police inspector of Kandivali police station said, “The police station was crowded and since the API was not in uniform, there was some confusion. We have asked the lawyers to give a written application based on which we will conduct an enquiry.”
HT reached out to Hemant Geete but he did not respond till the time of going to press.
