Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Complaint against hawkers lands 70-year-old in ICU.

Mumbai Mirror; Deeptiman Tiwary; Wednesday, March 23, 2011,
Chetandas Khushlani had filed a complaint against illegal stalls on the footpath near his Vakola house; On day of scheduled demolition, he was thrashed by two masked men
When 70-year-old Chetandas Khushlani complained to the BMC about illegal hawkers who had encroached upon the pavements around his Vakola house, all he wanted was swift action. What he got instead was 10 fractures, two operations and a prolonged stay in Hinduja Hospital’s ICU.
Khushlani was mercilessly beaten up by a group of unidentified people when he was on his morning walk last week, allegedly after certain officials in the BMC told the hawkers about the complaint he had filed. Meanwhile, it’s business as usual for the hawkers and shop owners.
According to the police complaint filed at the Vakola Police Station, infuriated by the presence of hawkers on the footpaths Khushlani had filed an RTI application in the local ward office asking whether they had permission to operate there. Their presence, he said in the complaint, forced senior citizens to negotiate traffic on the main road while on their morning walks.
The BMC replied saying the hawkers were illegal. Following this, Khushlani lodged a complaint with the BMC which, after a lot of following up by the 70-year-old, finally issued demolition orders for March 18.
In the first week of March, however, Khushlani was allegedly threatened by a person he did not know.
Khushlani’s son Lakshmichand told Mumbai Mirror, “My father told me that a certain Surinder Mane had threatened him saying there would be consequences if he didn’t take back his complaint. My father did not budge.
“However, what I fail to understand is how Mane came to know that my father had lodged a complaint. This information could only have been leaked by BMC officials,” he added.
On March 18, ironically the day of the scheduled demolition, Khushlani was out on his regular morning walk when he was accosted by two masked men riding a bike.
The men thrashed him with iron rods leaving him with 10 fractures on his arms and legs and a deep cut on his left ear. They also tried to stop a cab and whisk him away when Lakshmichand intervned.
“My maid, who had been passing by, saw my father being beaten up. As soon as she told me, I rushed down and seeing me, the two ran away,” said Lakshmichand. “Had I not reached in time, God knows what they would have done.
In fact, he was lucky to have survived as the assailants wanted to smash his head. He was lucky to get away with a cut on his ear.”
Even as Khushlani was being rushed to Hinduja, the BMC diligently demolished the illegal stalls. The stalls were back the next day, but Khushlani is still in the Intensive Care Unit. He has undergone two surgeries, his limbs are covered in plaster and, according to the doctors treating him, faces a recuperation period that could stretch up to six months.
“There are fractures on his left ankle, right shin, both hands and hip bone. His fingers have been crushed. Even then, the police have only registered a case of assault and criminal intimidation and not attempt to murder,” asks an agitated Lakshmichand. “The BMC must explain how the hawkers returned within 24 hours of their stalls being demolished and how information that my father had complained got leaked.”
Additional Municipal Commissioner Mohan Adtani said, “I will conduct a thorough enquiry as this is a serious matter.
At times, even hawkers have an inkling of people who complain against them, but if this information has been leaked by the BMC, we will take strict action.”
When contacted, Senior Inspector of Vakola Police Station, Rajendra Pardesi, refused to say why attempt to murder charges were not pressed against the accused, but said they would nab the accused soon. “We have identified Surinder Mane. He has been absconding since the incident, but we will get him soon.”