‘Not bothered if cops are let off’

The Girls, who were arrested for criticising bandh following Bal Thackeray’s demise, have moved on.

The state’s lack of initiative in taking action against the policemen who booked and wrongfully arrested Palghar residents Shaheen Dhada and Rinu Srinivasan last November has not upset the two youngsters, who have moved on and are just glad that the charges against them were dropped.

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Both in their early twenties, the two were arrested after they posted comments on Facebook criticising the state-wide bandh being enforced on account of the demise of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray.

They had been taken to and detained unlawfully at the police station following a complaint by Palghar’s Shiv Sena president Bhushan Sankhe.

A few hours before the complaint was registered, 30-40 people vandalised the Shaheen’s uncle’s hospital.

When the arrests sparked a nationwide outrage, the police ordered an inquiry and later dropped the case.

“I have moved on and don’t want to even think about that phase of my life again. That topic is over. It was a traumatic experience and I am only glad that the charges against us were dropped. I will not be very bothered if the concerned cops are punished or they get away,” Shaheen said on Tuesday.

Rinu has moved on literally too, she is in Kerala pursuing a course in audio engineering, her family said.

“It was a very difficult phase for the girls and they were extremely traumatised. More than punishment for the policemen involved, I am concerned about the vandalism of Shaheen’s uncle’s hospital. He has still not been compensated for the damages,” said Rahul, Rinu’s older brother who works in an Andheri-based private firm.

“The case must be brought to logical conclusion and the attackers must be brought to justice.”