Mumbai takes great pride in being a safe city for women, but what happens when its very protectors turn into monsters? After three men invaded the sanctity of her home and gang-raped her, a 36-year-old woman from Palghar thought she would at least find a safe haven with the police. But instead of helping her, the cops put her through hell all over again.

For three days and nights, she was held at the Palghar police station against her will, even as she was beaten, starved and abused, stated a front-page report in this paper yesterday. Instead of sympathizing with her and registering her complaint, the cops shamed the victim and implied that her claims were not true. The cops finally let her go and filed an FIR, but only charged one accused.