4 days on, battered 80-yr-old still awaits answers

Bhopal: Four days after 80-year-old

Kamlabai

was beaten up by policemen in Phanda Kala village, the administration is yet to identify the cops in the picture that has since gone viral.

A key clue is the ‘TI’ (town inspector) on one of the cop’s chest protector. He is seen wearing a cricket helmet and swinging a lathi. In another picture, the ‘TI’ is seen leading away Kamlabai by her left hand — the same one that is in a plaster cast now. The picture shows dark spots on her left arm that look like bruises.

Who is this TI? When TOI contacted SP (North) Arvind Saxena to find out about the day’s police action, he said the officer controlling protesters at the petrol pump (behind which is Kamlabai’s house) was Bairagarh station house officer (SHO) Sudhir Arjaria. In

Madhya Pradesh

, TI is the same as SHO.

“As he was dispersing the crowd, he entered the house of an elderly lady, after which some heated arguments took place as the lady questioned why police entered her house. It is also important to note that in the photos published in media, he is only seen raising a stick but not hitting her. It may be possible that he was just trying to scare her. I am not taking sides and will do a detailed inquiry to find what happened on the spot,” said Saxena.

When TOI contacted Arjaria, he said, “I was not on the spot and I am not the one shown in picture.” When this correspondent tried to ask a few more questions, he disconnected the call.

Saxena said, “I’d like to clarify on the basis of Kishnani Hospital’s medical report that Kamlabai has not suffered a fracture in her hand. But yes, she did suffer injury as per the medical report.

I personally met her and her family and requested her to go for medico-legal case so that the nature of her injury can be cleared in order to help her. But she is not ready to go for it unless her family members get bail.”

Kamlabai and her family demands the suspension of SHO of Khajuri police station, the SP said. “But he was not there. He was deployed at the toll booth,” added Saxena, adding that police extended all cooperation to the elderly woman and that the family can plead for bail.

Kamlabai’s ordeal hadn’t ended with the beating. She says that when she tried to meet CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday during his fast for peace, police drove her away. S K Mishra, principal secretary to the chief minister, said: “We will definitely conduct an inquiry and take action if someone is guilty. We will help Kamalabai and her family with all possible measures.” TOI tried to speak to home minister Bhupendra Singh on the issue but he could not be reached despite repeated attempts.