Mumbai: Locksmith assaulted over Rs 20; cops refuse to file FIR

Mohammad Ali Ansari, PSI Raj Shekhar Salgare. Pics/Hanif Patel

A Locksmith was dragged to the police station where a sub-inspector rained blows on his face, fracturing his nose and causing it to bleed on May 16. All this happened inside Manikpur police station after a dispute over Rs 20 for making duplicate keys for a GRP personnel. Misusing his power and authority, the sub-inspector favoured the GRP personnel to verbally abuse and physically assault Mohammad Ali Ansari. Despite reaching out to senior officials, an FIR was registered 12 days after the incident and six days later, the rogue policeman was suspended.

The key maker Mohammad Ali Ansari told mid-day that a GRP personnel walked to his shop and asked him to make two duplicate keys. "I told him it will cost Rs 40 per key and made him two keys within a few minutes. He gave me a Rs 500 but I didn't have change. So, he made an online payment but transferred only Rs 60. When I told him that he had paid me less than what was decided, he started arguing with me and said he is a policeman," Ansari said, adding that he didn't know the name of the GRP personnel but the payment was received from a Sachin.

"He told me that ‘jo paisa dia hai chupchap rakh le…mai policewala hu…'. When I insisted that he pay me, he dragged me out of my shop, caught me by my collar and started taking me to the GRP office. I insisted that we go to Manikpur police station instead as my shop falls under its jurisdiction," said Ansari. According to Ansari, police sub-inspector Raj Shekhar Salgare was on duty. "The GRP personnel told Salgare he was a policeman and had paid me Rs 60 for the two duplicate keys. He told him I was insisting on being paid an additional Rs 20."

A screenshot of the payment made to Ansari

Salgare then allegedly questioned Ansari as to why he was arguing with a policeman. "When I said I hadn't been paid in full, he replied arrogantly, telling me that R50 was sufficient and that I had already been paid an additional Rs 10. So, I kept the duplicate keys on the table and said and I don't want any money, you both have been harassing me at the police station," he recalled.

"This angered Salgare and he said ‘najar neeche karke baat kar…aur tu chabhi kaise table pe rakha? Haath me chabhi de…'. Later, he stood up and started to rain blows on my face… I tried to defend myself but he didn't stop hitting my face," Ansari said, adding that Salgare stopped after his nose started bleeding profusely. However, the high-handedness of policemen did not end there. "Even after assaulting me, PSI Salgare told me ‘mai sher hai sher'… no one will register a case against me. Go to whomever you want," Ansari recalled.

After the assault, Ansari then met senior inspector Raju Mane of Manikpur police station to register an FIR against Salgare and the GRP personnel. However, no case was registered and Mane instead told him there is too much pressure on policemen and he shouldn't register a case. Ansari then went to a nearby government hospital, where it was revealed that his nose had got fractured due to the assault. "The cops did not register an FIR despite medical reports being shown to them," said Ansari. "I had also written to senior police officers but none of them helped me."

Eventually, a few local social activists intervened and staged a protest at Manikpur police station demanding legal action against Salgare, who the Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) police had been protecting for days. Succumbing to the pressure, the Manikpur police registered an FIR against Salgare under sections IPC 325, 323 and 504 on May 27. However, he was suspended only after local social activists staged a sit-in protest at Manikpur police station for five hours on Saturday.

When contacted, Manikpur senior inspector Raju Mane said, "Yes, the incident happened many days ago. There was a dispute over less payment, so the key maker and a GRP personnel reached the police station where the former was assaulted. We have registered an FIR against the PSI Salgare and suspended him."

May 16
Day assault took place

May 27
Day FIR was finally registered against cop