Re: MSM Outreach Workers Abused in DELHI by Delhi Police

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

/message/10723

With the continuation of the incident outreach worker harassed yesterday, here

are some more detail about it.

 

Brief detail was not possible yesterday even after my being on phone and keeping

regular update of what is going on. They were not even able to speak with me for

more than a minute as they were already so shattered and instead of helping and

reporting the incident police were equally harassing them. The kind of questions

and language these police officers were using was so damaging that the ORWs

started getting uneasy and scared.

 

It took exact 2 hours for outreach worker and few Peers educators to debate with

the police officers to take letter of complaint, and no copy was provided of

FIR. Which means that they have not lodge our FIR yet.

 

My immediate meeting with the outreach worker and Peer educator in the late

night 11.30 PM gave me the clear picture of the whole incident and the response

of our Police.

 

The outreach workers were harassed by three drunk men who were claiming

themselves to be police in civil dress at outreach area Baljeet Nagar, near

hanuman mandir, at first they caught two of the peers by their hairs and started

accusing them of infecting one of their friend with HIV. They kept making

derogatory remarks about kothis, hijra and gay men. Among these three men one of

them was holding shaving blade in his hand and was trying to bring it near the

face of these two peer educators, their clear intension was to make them scared.

When rest of the peers and a outreach worker saw this, they immediately join

them to help them. The outreach worker tried to explain them about what they are

doing here and all about target intervention and especially that it’s a

government supported program. But as these three men were drunk and their clear

intention was to harass and rob, they were not ready to listen anything about

program and the work.

They simply asked to give away all the cash and any other valuables outreach

workers and peer educators are having. Even after best try of convincing these

three men the situation got even worse.

At the end a gold chain worth 17000/- Rupees, a purse containing 730/-rupees and

some coins  and a mobile phone Nokia N“70 were snatched from one of the peer

educator. The torture did not only end here but these three men were also

forcing the peers to have sex with them right there.

Some how they all managed to get away and directly reached Patel Nagar police

station without any delay. After telling the whole story to the police officer

name Mr. Bhagwan Sahai and Mr. Munim Dutt (ASI).

Mr. Bhagwan Sahai asked one of the outreach worker and one Peer Educator to call

their fathers, and said that do your parents know that you people work with

Hijras and snatched the complaint application which the peer was writing and

threw away.

 

After the other peers objection that why do he wish to speak to the parents when

they are on their official duty and are the victim not accused.

 

After a 10 minutes of argument Mr. Bhagwan Sahai handed over our plea to some

other Police officer and where the peers and outreach worker explained him the

entire incident again. This ploice officer not only accompanied the peer and

ORWs till the point of incident took place but also asked them to come back to

the police station and file a complaint.

 

After all the peer and ORW reaching to the station back they just took the

written application and gave the photocopy of the same application with a stamp

on it. To note down the written complaint from the application on their register

they took almost half an hour as some times they use to say that register is not

with them or were just ignoring and asking the peers and ORWs to wait and wait.

 

After the entire incident discussing with Mr. Aditya Bondyoapdhyay from National

MSM & HIV, Policy Advocacy & Human Rights Task Force and Mr. Firoj of Human

Rights Law Network they have asked to go and check weather they really

registered the FIR or just taken the complaint application.

 

After my request Mitr’s project manager Mr. Baljeet Singh, counselor Ms. Kanta

along with the ORW Mr. Monu and peer educators Ms. Vandana, sandeep, tanisha,

seema aqnd ramakant went to the Patel Nagar Police station to verify that they

filed a FIR or not.

As now the dialogue with the Mr. Praveen (Reader) at Patel Nagar police station

confirmed that the FIR has been register (FIR No. 37 A) and the progression

report on the case can be only taken by Mr. Subhe Singh the officer who is

looking after the case.

 

Rupesh Chettri

E-MAIL: <roopeshchettri@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

Re: /message/10723

I agree with Mr. Rupesh that this kind of incidents are happening with our staff

also. Few months back our one ORW beaten by police personal, we went to police

but as usual no support from them.

But thanks to our advocacy with Times of India, they reported incident in their

new paper. And due to this article that police man approached the ORW and

apologized for his behaviour and now very supportive with our staff. But the

question related to police officials in police stations remain unanswered.

We had approached different police station in-charges to conduct advocacy

program in their police stations but they always ignored us by saying that they

do not have time, or some time they agree and ask us to come but after reaching

their we found he is on leave or busy in meeting with senior officials and will

be not able to meet.

In one more incident, our Peer (TG) died due to Railway Police Force team. RPF

jawan beaten her till death. Her fault was only that she was distribution

Condoms to other fellow TGs at railway station. We had reported both the matters

to States Human Right and our funding agency but no progress.

Due to this reason we are unable to find qualified persons to work in TI

projects. First these people are scared due to stigma and discrimination

attached to kothi, TG and Gay in the society at large and second the risk

involved in the field due to police and goons.

Regards

Anand Chandrani

Project Director

Sarathi Trust

Nagpur

e-mail: <sarathitrust_2005@...>