Woman seeking help about abusive husband on Twitter says a lot about Mumbai Police
She has been abused by her husband and Mumbai Police didn't help, the woman said in the video.
Filmmaker and CBFC member Ashoke Pandit tweeted a video of a woman pleading on camera to be saved from her oppressive husband. The video took Twitter by storm as it left many wondering why she took to social media to report a crime. Many asked whether it was a "fake" case of domestic violence, to seek the attention of social media. The video was tweeted on February 3 and garnered several responses, including one from the handle of the Mumbai Police, which was tagged in the tweet.
It was looking into the case, while the woman in her video had claimed that she received no cooperation from the police.
A case of domestic violence
Cry of a women goes unheard with #KharPoliceStation. @MumbaiPolice @CPMumbaiPolice. Please do the needful immediately before something untoward happens. #BetibachaoBetiPadao. pic.twitter.com/9DK5Bn1nJz
— Ashoke Pandit (@ashokepandit) February 4, 2018
In a choked voice, the woman introduced herself as Amita Kaur, wife of Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Khar. She said she had been mentally and physically tortured by her husband for a long time. That she had been in this marital relationship only considering the future of her children. According to her, the husband, a “womaniser” and “gambler”, tried to electrocute her. In the video, she said that she had already complained to Khar police station, the appeal fell on deaf ears as the police officer was “hand in glove” with her husband.
She has a flat in her name but her husband is after the property, she said. “If I don't get justice, I will end up tomorrow in the streets of Khar. Please give me justice,” she pleaded.
Police says case is genuine
According to a PTI report, the woman registered two complaints against her husband — one was for housebreaking and the other for criminal intimidation. "The couple has three children and stay in a duplex apartment in Khar. While the husband and two kids stay on the eleventh floor, the woman along with their daughter stay on the 12th floor," an officer said to PTI.
In the video, Amita said that her husband refuses to give money to her and her daughter.
Why a video on Twitter?
The Mumbai Police is quite active on Twitter. While a duty officer concerned can quite easily refuse to register an FIR when a complainant visits the police station, it is difficult for Mumbai Police to drag its feet on social media, with 4.26 million followers on this social media platform. It has already started drawing flak from Twitter users for not taking action so far.
DCP Zone 9 is looking into the matter.
— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) February 4, 2018
And since Ashoke Pandit is a prominent person, it was all the more difficult to ignore his tweet. Mumbai police responded quickly, but pressure was being built upon it to post what action it finally took in the case.
Mumbai police pls post the action initiated - so that people get correct messages
— Anand Nargundkar (@AnandNargundkar) February 4, 2018
Please help her, i can understand her because i am also facing the same issue with my husband, and im not getting any help from police or anyone's.
— Preeti Gaikwad (@PreetiGaikwad5) February 5, 2018
Honestly can't say she is saying all truth either sense a bit of dramatics in her scripted language let real culprit be brought to justice
— hemal (@hemalmodiusa) February 5, 2018
Very good actingAfter #FakeCases new Drama started by film makerNeed for proper investigationSave innocent Punish Criminal#MondayMotivaton#BiasedLaw @InsaafNGO @vaastavngo @IPS_Association @IndiaToday @timesofindia pic.twitter.com/qoXhYrKGia
— REALITY CHECK (@nitin33K) February 5, 2018
The incident brings to the fore that ordinary citizens are relying more on social media, even if at the cost of exposing their private life. In this case, too, many Twitter users commented that the woman is acting in front of camera as her choice of words is too polished to fit a person who is in distress.
The fact that she is speaking in English has also drawn flak, while it must have been to reach a greater audience. Such comments also reveal that domestic violence largely remains an unaddressed issue.