Former boxer's arrest: Maria rings probe bell

MUMBAI: Railway police commissioner Rakesh Maria has ordered an inquiry into the arrest of former national level boxer, Aspi Irani (71) following allegations by social activists that he was ill-treated by the police.
They claimed that the police failed to inform his family about his arrest. As a result, he had to languish in the Byculla jail for eight days.The inquiry will be conducted by assistant police commissioner R.M. Pargunde.
Mr Irani was arrested at Mumbai Central station on the morning of September 20 by constable A.D. Shinde for travelling in a ladies compartment. He was produced the next day before a metropolitan magistrate who remanded him to seven days custody. Following Mr Irani''s arrest, his family, which resides in Juhu lane, was completely in the dark about his whereabouts.
Mr Irani was in a state of shock and kept mum about his arrest for several days after his release from jail and his family refused to speak to this newspaper.
Social activists, who assisted the Irani family in tracing him, have accused the police of not informing the family about Mr Irani''s arrest and subsequent custody. Said activist Mehernosh Fitter, "The family underwent a traumatic experience. They stayed awake at nights and his daughters even skipped work for few days hoping they would receive a call about their father''s whereabouts."
Mr Fitter said he had accompanied Mr Irani''s daughters to police stations throughout the city and complaints were lodged at the D N Nagar and D B Marg police stations. The family members even contacted the morgues, he said.
"What the police did was not right. They should have been able to trace the family as the information had been passed to a number of police stations", said another activist Maharukh Noble.
Mr Fitter alleged that Mr Irani was not given food and water and was not provided proper medical treatment. The police denied the charge stating that Mr Irani underwent medical tests on the very day he was arrested.
Mr Irani used to visit friends at Balaram Street, Grant Road, everyday and would return home after two hours. On September 20 he left home for Grant Road, but this time though, the homebound journey was not quite as planned.
Mr Irani boarded a second class ladies compartment and was arrested at Mumbai Central station by the constable, who booked him under section 162 of the Indian Railway Act. The Act provides for a fine of Rs 500 or imprisonment of seven days. As Mr Irani was unable to pay the fine he was produced before the metropolitan magistrate the next day and remanded to seven days custody.
Mr Maria claimed that Mr Irani failed to give a proper address or a telephone number to the police. Mr Irani''s address in the police register mentions his address as ‘Aradhana building, Naka, Mumbai.'' "How do we inform anyone if a person refuses to give the correct address?" he asked.
According to Mr Maria, 21 persons were arrested at Mumbai Central for travelling in the ladies compartment on September 20. Of these, 11 of them called their homes or friends and were released after paying the fine. But ten others, including Mr Irani failed to do so.
The police claimed that some of the offenders do not wish to call their homes out of shame.The following day some of the ten accused paid up the fines when produced before a magistrate. It is not known why the others failed to inform their near and dear. "If the police prevented Mr Irani from making a phone call, what prevented him from informing the magistrate?" Mr Maria asked.
According to him, Mr Irani did not say anything to the magistrate. Further, the responsibility of the police ended after a remand for judicial custody is obtained.
The police will now record Mr Irani''s statement and those of the other offenders, who were arrested on that day, to find out if any of them faced harassment or were denied access to a phone.