Around 15 partygoers detained during police raid at Maya Lounge call press conference, claim cops assaulted women, refused them water and even turned venue into personal party by feasting on food and beverages
Some partygoers, including a few women rounded up by the rural police from Maya Lounge in Wagholi during the wee hours of Sunday, claim that the raiding team displayed sheer high-handedness and even made a feast out of the opportunity.
Coming out strongly against the actions of the rural police officials, around 15 individuals present at the venue during the raid gathered at a city-based hotel yesterday afternoon and addressed a press conference. They have decided to file a writ petition against the police. They have also decided to knock on the doors of the National Commission For Women and the National Human Rights Commission to seek action against the police department.
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Action plan: The group of partygoers at the press conference they called to announce that they plan to file a writ petition against the police, besides approaching the National Commission For Women and the National Human Rights Commission to seek action against the treatment meted out to them by the police. Pic/Krunal Gosavi
“The police did not show any decency towards the women and some male cops even beat up several girls as if we had committed some kind of crime by coming to this place. How can we know that the place is illegal or legal? The lounge has been catering to party goers for the past one year,” said Vyoma Vyas, who was among those detained during the raid.
She claimed that some cops passed lewd comments and pointed out the dresses some girls were wearing, and they even used abusive language while speaking to them.
“There were very few lady constables in the raid team, but even they showed callousness towards the women detainees,” she said.
Abhijit Rathod, another detainee, who works for a software company said, “The police raided the place and everybody were told not to leave the premises as they needed to collect blood samples. Surprisingly, some cops began having a gala time after the raid and began to party inside the lounge and feasting on snacks and cold drinks.”
Zara, another guest at the venue claimed that she was assaulted for merely asking for water.
“I approached one male cop for water, but he pushed me and a lady constable who was standing nearby slapped and abused me and ordered me to sit on the floor,” Zara said.
Some of the partygoers alleged that the cops had even taken bribes from the detainees to conduct the medical test on priority-basis so that they could leave quickly.
“The doctors who had come to take blood samples were interns and did not know how to prick the fingers of the detainees,” said another unnamed detainee.
He alleged that a 12-year-old girl who was at the venue with her parents was also subjected to blood sample collection.
One of the male detainees claim that was at Maya Lounge for dinner with his family, but ended up being roughed up by the police. “I was not even on the dance floor and had come to lounge with family, but the police did not listen to me and started beating me,” he said.u00a0
The other side
SP Manojkumar Lohiya refuted all the charges being levelled and said that action was only taken after following all legal procedures.
“The allegations are false and baseless and as the case is in the court now, we will give them a proper reply there only,” Lohiya said.
Those arrested have been identified as Ibrahim Abdul Zaheer Abbas (34) and Harmit Indrapal Sahni (38) alias Kuki Singh, who had taken the club on lease, event manager Shreyas Vijay Tanna (34), Saud Sajjad Anwari (30), who had obtained permission for the party and DJ Vyankateshchinnaya Punnaganti (32).
Assistant Police Inspector S B Ghorpade of the Pune rural police, who is the complainant and investigating officer in the case, informed the court that Anjali, the owner of Maya Lounge — also wife of ATS inspector Rajnish Nirmal — and DJ Kaz alias A Sayyed Qasim Chijmai are yet to be arrested as they are absconding.
Yesterday the court remanded five arrested suspects in police custody till September 6, for allowing the party to go on beyond the 11 pm deadline on Saturday night.u00a0
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