Woman battles road rage, police apathy

If being attacked at a busy traffic signal during rush hour is not an experience bitter enough, the subsequent reluctance of the police to act on her complaint has left Karuna Rao wondering about how serious the city is about ensuring the safety of women.

If being attacked at a busy traffic signal during rush hour is not an experience bitter enough, the subsequent reluctance of the police to act on her complaint has left Karuna Rao wondering about how serious the city is about ensuring the safety of women.

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Rao, a middle-aged working woman who works as a business analyst in a private firm in SEEPZ, Andheri (East), was driving back home at around 8pm when she was assaulted by an allegedly drunk biker over a minor altercation.

"I was as the Akruti City signal when the incident occurred. I was punched and the man smashed the windshield with his helmet," said Rao, adding that he was reeking of alcohol. The man then walked away without his bike, which has a police logo stuck on the number plate.

Rao said that her ordeal did not end there; the police was not cooperative, and registered only a non-cognisable complaint. She says they also refused to take her for the mandatory checkup, and she had to get a medical report on her own from Cooper hospital.

According to Karuna, the police did not mention in the complaint that the man was drunk. She approached the MIDC police again the next day, after which though they registered an FIR, it was only for outraging a woman's modesty and mischief causing damage. No section was added for assault.

The accused has not been arrested, and the police refuse to believe he is a cop. "A policeman cannot behave like this," said an officer from MIDC police station.

"We sent a team to the address which we got from the RTO and it turned out to be false," said Suhas Warke, deputy commissioner of police (zone 10).

When asked about the logo on the motorbike, Warke said, "Many people put the sticker even though they are not attached with the police force. This is illegal."