Foot in mouth? Not quite, but teacher now wishes he hadn’t reported theft

The police on October 3, registered a case involving Kalekar from Rakshewadi area of Khed taluka in Pune district. Missing sandals were at the heart of the case, but were not the case itself. According to Kalekar, thieves were trying to break into a house opposite his.

In an era of fake news, putting the foot before the sandal can make or break the story; or as it is in this case, the peace and sanity of a 36-year-old teacher who was simply following the law.

The Pune Police registered the complaint of Vishal Kalekar, that his sandals were stolen, has now been widely reported. (HT PHOTO)

That the Pune Police registered the complaint of Vishal Kalekar, that his sandals were stolen, has now been widely reported. However, and here lies the rub, the “case”, according to Kalekar has been “mis-reported” causing “much grief” to Kalekar and his family. The police on October 3, registered a case involving Kalekar from Rakshewadi area of Khed taluka in Pune district. Missing sandals were at the heart of the case, but were not the case itself.

According to Kalekar, thieves were trying to break into a house opposite his.

“CCTV footage has captured the thief trying to break into the house opposite my own. When I realised they were armed, I raised the volume of my television in order to make them realise that there were people around. The robbers, instead, picked up the footwear outside my house and fled. I got an FIR registered after persuading the police for two days,” Kalekar, who teaches Marathi at a local junior college, told HT on Tuesday.

“I’m from a farmer’s family. The misreporting caused a lot of grief to my family. My caricatures were circulated on social media. My father’s blood pressure began to fluctuate and he was taken to hospital. Is this what I get for trying to do the right thing?” Kalekar asked. Kalekar lives in an apartment on Takalkarwadi road in Khed.