25 September,2013 12:41 AM IST | | Shailesh Bhatia
Two masked assailants yesterday barged into a rented Mhada Colony flat in Bandra (East) shouting "Pehle to trailer tha, picture abhi baaki hai" and attacked a 28-year-old woman with a knife for the second time in less than two weeks.
Narrow escape: Eram Rizwi shows her injured arm
On September 15, Sunday MiD DAY had highlighted in a story (âGoons attack woman at BKC flat, arrested') the safety concerns of women in the city by citing the example of Eram Rizwi, a single mother of three, who was brutally attacked with a knife and had to undergo extensive treatment, including receiving 13 stitches on her left arm, at Bhabha Hospital.
Sunday MiD DAY report on September 15
Despite an FIR being filed at the BKC police station and three arrests being made, including that of a Mhada employee, Tuesday's attack only goes on
to expose the scant regard goons have for law enforcement agencies.
"Just like the first time, I heard knocks on my door at around 3.30 am, and a lady-like voice called out to me. Thinking that one of the neighbours was in distress I opened the door and the next thing I know is that two masked men barged in and started attacking me with a knife," said Rizwi, who is a diabetic.
Fearing for her children, Rizwi mustered courage and slammed the door shut. "The men then tried to stab me in the stomach. As I shut the door, one of the attackers got his hand wedged in and dropped his folding knife, which was later collected by the police as evidence," she said, producing a copy of the medical report from Bhabha.
Talking about the motive behind the crime, Rizwi said that anti-social elements were eager to throw her out of the flat as they had found another more lucrative tenant, but refused to give back her Rs 1 lakh security deposit.
"After seven years of marriage, my husband left me for another woman and settled in Aligarh. For the last six months I have been fending for my family by doing odd jobs, which do not even provide my children basic education. I collected the money for the deposit, by selling personal jewellery and don't even have money to pay the doctor for my treatment," said Rizwi, a trained beautician.
Policespeak
The FIR, a copy of which is available with MiD DAY, has imposed sections 190,324, 452, 506, and 452/34 of the IPC on the two unknown accused for abetment, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons, house- trespass, with intention of causing hurt, assault or wrongful restraint and criminal intimidation.
Senior police inspector Chandrakant Bhosle of BKC said that the police have filed a second FIR and are in the process of collecting evidence to ascertain the validity of the case. "I am in a meeting currently and do not have all the details," he said.
DCP Namdev Chavan of Zone VIII was not available for comment.
Goons arrested and released
The crime allegedly took place for real estate fraud. After the first FIR, the BKC police arrested Mohammed Abdul Kadir, a Mhada employee enlisted as a site supervisor at the building. The other two accused include the house owner Samshu Malik (43) and Nassir Sheikh (43). The latter is allegedly Rizwi's ex-husband's friend. A case was registered under sections 452/324 and 506 of the IPC, which pertain to house trespass, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons and criminal intimidation.u00a0
