MUMBAI ADVOCATE REPORTEDLY BEATEN BY POLICE FOR DEFENDING CLIENT

MUMBAI: An advocate fighting for the rights of his client found himself in the detention room of a Mumbai police station instead, being allegedly abused, hit and told by screaming cops: “You terrorists are well trained to get your people off the list, al Qaeda has coached you well.”

Advocate Moin Khan had approached the Magistrate’s court on behalf of a client Aijaz who had been arrested by the police for stolen goods. Aijaz had been taken to the Vakola Police Station where Moin Khan said, he had been tortured excessively.

Khan told The CItizen that his client was beaten badly, petrol was poured on his private parts, and he was given electric current shocks.

The Magistrate issued an order directing action against the guilty police man.

Khan said he had sent his clerk to the same police station on Sunday November 1 to file the order. “He went at 1230 but till 3 pm the policemen on duty were not willing to take it, and so he asked me to come personally,” he said.

Khan went and insisted that the police do his job, so the order was recorded after which according to him the policeman “threw it on my face.”He said he went out of the police station but then he was called back in my the policemen.

One of them said, “take him into the detention room.” There he said he was stripped off his mobile phone Rs 25000 in cash and his wallet.

One of the cops with a lathi”hit me on my foot,, the other “manhandled me” Khan said. “All the while they were hitting me they were accusing me of being a terrorist, of working to help all the other terrorists who were caught , that I had been hired by the al Qaeda and that they would teach me a lesson, “he said.

Khan said he told them “I am an Indian, I have the same rights as you, my forefathers fought for the independence of this country.” He said they allowed him to go after a while as word had got out and advocates had started gathering at the police station in his support.

Khan left and sent a private complaint by mail to the police station about his treatment. He said that the police was clearly angry that he had secured an order against their officer for “torturing” his clinet and made it very clear to him that this was not acceptable.

There is deep concern amongst the advocates, particularly the minorities about one of them described as the increasingly belligerent attitude of the police that is now directly in their work. The DCP of the area is reported to have promised an enquiry, although it is not clear what shape this will take.