Activist Afroz Shah detained on charges of ferrying stranded migrant workers

On Tuesday night, Shah tagged Mumbai Police and the police commissioner, Param Bir Singh, and recounted the trauma that led him to temporarily suspend his charitable activities.

Lawyer and Mumbai beach clean-up crusader Afroz Shah was allegedly detained by Tilak Nagar police late night on Tuesday for around two hours in suburban Chembur on charges of ferrying stranded migrant workers.

Afroz Shah has been seen moving in and around the city to feed and ferry migrant workers during the coronavirus lockdown restrictions.(Twitter/@AfrozShah1)

Shah, who caught the public imagination a couple of years ago for his stellar work in a solo clean-up drive of Mumbai’s Versova beach, has been seen moving in and around the city to feed and ferry migrant workers during the lockdown restrictions, which were enforced from March 25 to contain the spread of raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.

He is also feeding stray dogs and cats amid lockdown 4:0 that came into effect from Monday and will be in place till May 31.

On Tuesday night, Shah tagged Mumbai Police and the police commissioner, Param Bir Singh, and recounted the trauma that led him to temporarily suspend his charitable activities.

“Detained for ferrying migrant workers to their destination in Mumbai. God bless this country,” he tweeted.

He followed it up with a more elaborate tweet: “Harassed for two hours by Tilak Nagar police. Taken to the police station … let off by saying please leave… suspending all my activities to help the poorest of the poor… sorry migrants… the system doesn’t allow me to work for you. Broken heart… broken soul… I cry and I’m in pain.” 

Shah said that he was detained at around 12 am while he was helping migrants, who were walking from Byculla to Ghatkopar, a distance of around 16 kilometres, to catch a bus back to their native place in Uttar Pradesh (UP).

“I was on the highway between Thane and Nashik, ferrying, and providing food for migrant workers for the better part on Tuesday. I returned to Mumbai late at night and wanted to help those looking for a free meal. Initially, I came across a group of around 8-10 people at Mulund check post, who wanted to reach Byculla. These people came from Bhiwandi to Mumbai looking for some odd jobs. I dropped them to their destination. While taking a U-turn, I saw another group of around 40 people, who were walking towards LBS (Lal Bahadur Shastri) Marg in Ghatkopar from where they were to board a bus for UP. I took around eight of them in my pick-up truck and told the others that I’d come back to ferry them. Police stopped me on LBS Marg. Two on-duty constables abused and heckled me. I told them to file an FIR (First Information Report) against me, if I’ve committed any crime, as I’ve been trying to help the poor. My volunteer Faizan and I were taken to Tilak Nagar police station. The police refused to file an FIR and unnecessarily detained us for about two hours,” he alleged.

Shah has been hitting the roads for 16 hours daily to help stranded migrant workers during the lockdown restrictions while observing fast during the Holy month of Ramzan.

The Good Samaritan has been hailed on social media for helping the poor and needy during the lockdown restrictions.

“A huge humanitarian crisis is unfolding in front of our eyes. Though my mother has been warning me that I’m putting myself at grave risk by exposing myself to the viral outbreak, I cannot simply sit idle at home. I need to help my fellow citizens,” he added.

Sashikumar Mina, deputy commissioner of police, Zone 6, has promised to look into Shah’s allegations.