A month on, BPO worker’s father questions cops’ laxity

The victim’s father has been on her side right through, and will not be easily placated until law-enforcing agencies unravel how she came to be in such a state.

Mumbai: “My daughter is home, but it will be another six months before she can stand on her feet,” said Munish Singh, father of 23-year-old Priyangi, over a month after her attempted murder. She was allegedly pushed down by her boyfriend, Amey Darekar, from the water tank of a high-rise building in Dahisar on November 12.

Priyangi Singh, who was admitted to Kokilaben Hospital, is home now. Even though the police had arrested her boyfriend for allegedly pushing Priyangi off the 18-feet tank, her father suspects she was also beaten up, and alleged the accused’s mother may have been involved in the act. (HT PHOTO)

Back home in Goregaon (East), she continues to be restricted to her bed, still under medical supervision. “Doctors told me I could take her home as she has been responding well to treatment,” said Singh. She was admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, a day after the incident.

Singh has been by his daughter’s side right through, and will not be easily placated until law-enforcing agencies unravel how she came to be in such a state. “Doctors have told me Priyangi’s condition could not have been caused by just a fall,” said Singh.

Singh questioned why Amey’s mother Radhika Darekar was not arrested after her anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the sessions court. Radhika had moved the Bombay high court for anticipatory bail, soon after. It was granted to her on Thursday, giving her interim protection from arrest. The next hearing of her pre-arrest bail plea is on January 10.

Even though the police had arrested Amey for allegedly pushing Priyangi off the 18-feet tank, Singh suspects she was also beaten up, and alleged Radhika may have been involved in the act. “I suspect Amey took the fall for his mother by getting arrested and not revealing her involvement,” said Singh.

“The police skirt my queries and say investigation is going on, and that they are waiting for Priyangi’s statement,” said Singh. Priyangi, incidentally, said the father, is recounting events that happened long ago or “which may not even have taken place”.

He also added that the earlier claim that she had called Amey after being handed the pink clip at her place of work, was false, as the “office management said they had not fired Priyangi”. He said on the day of the incident, she had received a call from someone, following which she left office hurriedly at 4:30 pm. “When I saw her again, her T-shirt was drenched and she was bleeding,” said Singh.

Contrary to Singh’s suspicion, Amey maintained that the incident was an accident, and he does not know how she fell. He has told the cops that he saw Priyangi climb up the tank and the next thing he remembered was seeing her lying face down on the terrace.

One of Amey’s family members, speaking on a condition of anonymity, recounted the pattern of incidents of the day, as narrated to him by Amey. Priyangi arrived at Reema Residency, in Borivali, their residence, at 5pm in a rickshaw and told him she did not have the money to pay him as she had lost her job. Amey then went down from his 12th floor apartment and paid the auto fare.

He took a shower while Priyangi waited for him at a sandwich shop. The two then went to one of Amey’s relative’s place to fetch his dog. At 7pm they bought some beer and drank it near Broadway Mall. At 9pm then they called their friend Devesh Lad and went to La-Bellezza apartments in Dahisar East where Lad lived.

The three bought whiskey and beer, which they consumed on the terrace of the building. Lad has also consumed weed, alleged the family member.

At 2.30 am Lad retired to his room, leaving the couple by themselves. Drunk, the two fell asleep on the terrace. They two woke up at 6 am, and he saw her climb the steps of the tank.

His next memory, according to the family member, is finding Priyangi lying face down, at 6:45 am, whereupon he called his mother Radhika who told him to bring her home. She applied an antiseptic on her wounds, gave her a glass of water, and dropped her off home in a cab, “assuming she would be safe there,” said the family member.