Exclusive: Couple on whose complaint a man was picked up and allegedly beaten to death by cops says police destroyed their complaint from the records and cooked up a case against them
Afreen Ali and Dashrat Devendra
AfreenAli and Dashrat Devendra, the couple booked for filing a fake complaint against Vijay Singh, 26, who allegedly died after being thrashed by the Wadala TT police while in custody, spoke to mid-day about what happened on October 27. They accused the police of framing them, saying the cops filed two NCs (non-cognisable offence) one before Singh's death and another after. In the second NC, the cops allegedly took Dashrat's signature on a blank sheet and then wrote whatever they wanted.
"I don't know why the police registered two NCs, but whatever has been written in the second one is not what happened. The deceased had pulled Afreen from the back, which is what the cops had written in the first NC. But, they changed that in the second one saying the bike hit her from behind, which is not true. I don't know why they did this, they must be trying to save themselves as the person has died inside the police station. We did nothing wrong but the cops are troubling us after registering an FIR against us and telling us to surrender. They are visiting our homes and troubling our families too," Dashrat said.
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Dashrat Devendra shows the injury he sustained in the scuffle with Vijay Singh and his friends
Afreen tells mid-day
I was on my way to meet Dashrat, who was already waiting for me near the RTO office. Suddenly, Vijay Singh who was on his Activa alone, pulled me towards him from behind. I fell down and started screaming. I was even injured on my right hand. Dashrat, who was just a few metres away, ran towards the biker and caught him. Suddenly, two more people came on a bike and started assaulting Dashrat. He told me to call the police but luckily, a police vehicle was coming from the opposite direction and the cops came to our rescue. All of us were taken to the police station. We were taken by the police vehicle while Vijay and his friends were brought walking. I narrated the whole incident to the police. Vijay apologised to me at the police station. As Dashrat had injured his face, the cops told him to get a medical report from the hospital. He went alone to get it from Sion hospital.
As soon as he came back, I recorded my statement and the cops registered a non-cognisable offence. I myself told the police to register an NC not FIR as the person had apologised to me and was crying. His family, too, came to the police station after some time. While the cops were registering an NC, Vijay told them twice that he was feeling pain in his chest, but they ignored him. They even shouted at him in front of us. But, they did not beat or assault him, at least not in front of us. As Vijay asked for water twice, the police called his family inside where someone gave him water and I along with Dashrat walked out of the police station as we were told to leave.
Dashrat allegedly signing on a blank form at the police station
Dashrat tells mid-day
I was near the RTO waiting for Afreen, when suddenly I saw her screaming just a few metres from where I was standing. I rushed towards the biker who had grabbed her and nabbed him, when suddenly two more people came on a bike and they started hitting me. One of them hit me hard with his helmet due to which I was injured on my head and nose. I told Afreen to call the police but luckily a patrolling police vehicle was close by. I, too, hit the person who assaulted me with his helmet. We were taken to the police station and the cops told me to get a medical report, so I went to Sion hospital.
But, I was present while Afreen was recording her statement. Vijay complained of chest pains and asked for water twice but the cops ignored him. They later called his family and someone gave him water. After some time while we were standing just outside the police station reading the NC copy, a cop came running and snatched it from us. We have also recorded a video of this. When we asked him why, he said, 'Tumko kya takleef hai?' Afreen and I were then called back to the police station and detained till next morning. Between 2am and 3am, I was told to sign a blank sheet of paper. We have a video of this, too. The cops then wrote whatever they wanted to on it. The statement in the second NC is neither mine nor Afreen's.
Contents of the second NC
The content of the second NC registered under section 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt)and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of IPC. This NC states that the complainant, Dashrat Devendra, was standing with his friend Afreen at the divider near the RTO. Vijay Singh, who was passing through the road, dashed his bike into Afreen, resulting in her mobile falling on to the road. After this, Vijay was staring angrily at Devendra and Afreen. When Devendra asked him why he was staring, Vijay called his cousin Nirmal Singh and friend Ankit Mishra. The three of them started beating Devendra with bare hands and threatened Devendra and Afreen with harm.
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