Moneylife: Pune: Tuesday, 06 May 2014.
Pune’s lady
constable Jayashree Mane was slapped by her senior male colleague as he had to
vacate his 'illegally occupied' official 'room'. Mane has filed over 200 RTI
applications in a bid to cleanse the irregularities and corruption in the Pune
police department. Will she get the justice?
Pune is one
of the pioneers of implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act through
the efforts and passion of citizens and activists. However, 34 year old woman
constable, Jayashree Mane, who works at the Shivajinagar Police Headquarters in
Pune, has shown unprecedented guts by using RTI to expose irregularities and
corruption in the police department by filing more than 200 RTIs.
On Saturday,
3rd May, Ms Mane was on duty at gate no2 of Shivajinagar Police Headquarters,
at around 9.30pm, when Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) Machhindra Shinde, senior to
her and guarding gate no1, started walking towards her. His ire perhaps was
hidden due to the fact that, he had to vacate his official `kholi’ (room),
which he had been occupying illegally, after Ms Mane procured information to
this effect, under RTI. Ms Mane, who was a few minutes earlier with her other
women constable colleagues, was asked by PSI Shinde about their whereabouts.
When she said that they have gone out for dinner, he seized the opportunity of
her being alone, and slapped her hard across the face and ear. Ms Mane fell
down and was writhing in pain. PSI Shinde ran away from the place.
Mane,
approached her senior officer PN Suryawanshi to register a complaint, but she
says, he wrote down in the station diary that she was not beaten up. Ms Mane
then went to the Shivajinagar Police Station where the lady Police Inspector,
Ms Mehendale wrote down a 'wrong' complaint to 'protect her seniors' says Ms
Mane and compelled her to sign on it. She did not agree and insisted that PI
Mehendale lodge a first information report (FIR). Finally, a non-congnisable
offence was registered and so it is akin to a weak complaint.
Ms Mane has
procured a medical report from the Sassoon Hospital and is in a perturbed state
of mind. What is worrying is that, despite being a whistle-blower and exposing
irregularities and corruption in the Police department, her seniors are
allegedly trying to hush up the issue by denying her right to lodge a FIR.
RTI activists
are very perturbed about the incident as it seems to be pro-accused than
pro-victim. Hence, we are appealing to Pune Police Commissioner Satish Mathur
with the following requests:
1.
Ms
Mane has played the role of a whistle-blower, by exposing wrong doings in the
police department. We request you to give protection to Ms Mane by helping
build up her confidence and assuring her that she will be given full justice.
For this, we request you to ensure that the investigative officer hears her out
fully and objectively, as she has allegedly been a victim of harassment at
workplace and humiliation.
2.
Ms
Mane’s complaint to the Shivajinagar Police station has been treated casually.
We appeal to you to register a strong FIR
3.
The
Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed that, in cases of assault or
fatal attacks on RTI users/ activists, the RTI applications, the victims filed
and the information provided to her/ him should be suo motu put up on the
website. We request you to put up all the information that Ms Mane had sought
including the documents relating to Mr Shinde’s allegedly illegal stay in an
official 'room' immediately, within 24 hours. This will ensure that the accused
is not shielded and that citizens know the kind of RTI applications filed by
her.
4.
We
request you to look at the 'harassment in work place' angle as the physical
assault on the night of 3rd May, seems like the last straw on the camel’s back
5.
We
also request you to act on this case quickly, seriously and in utmost fairness
to bring it to a logical end. This will ensure that the faith of the people in
the law enforcing system is not shaken.
I along with
several RTI activists, including Akshay Dawadikar, met Mr Mathur and submitted
our letter. After listening to our plea, the Pune Police Commissioner told us
that the matter is being looked into.
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