Sindhudurg environmentalist couple allege assault, molestation by mob, but no FIR lodged

NAVI MUMBAI: A Sindhudurg based environmentalist couple from Vaibhavwadi taluka, Dr Pranjali Jadhav and her husband Joseph Paul, have alleged that they were attacked by a group of local villagers on two occasions in the past one week but the police have not registered their FIRs despite writing urgent letters to the authorities, including the chief minister's office (CMO).

The couple who are members of the Save Aarey Forest group in Mumbai, have reportedly complained several times against the timber mafia in Sindhudurg for cutting trees inside the forest areas. During their recent assault and molestion on July 24 and 29 at their residence, the victims informed that there is also a property dispute matter with a local villager family who they alleged also assaulted them in the presence of local police.

Talking to TOI, Dr Jadhav (47 years age) said: "In my complaint to the chief minister and other state authorities, I have mentioned how a mob of villagers who I have specifically named tresspassed into our house on July 24 and assaulted my husband (Paul) on the head in front of the police personnel. I first struggled to take Paul to Vaibhavwadi police station where he started having convulsions due to his injury. However, the police officials simply yelled at me to take him to hospital. Despite being hospitalised at the government hospital at Oras, no FIR has been lodged till date."

In the second attack on July 29, Dr Jadhav said that she was molested by the crowd at their house where some agitated women tried to forcibly remove her undergarment, "On July 24, the villagers had come to our house in order to carry out a land measurement survey along with the police and revenue officials. I had only asked them to show any document or official notice with regards to the land survey they wanted to do. However, they became angry and hit my husband hard on his head with a stick. Some villagers linked to the timber mafia were also present,'' she said.

In April this year, Dr Jadhav had called the Sawantwadi based forest officials in order to stop the timber mafia from illegally cutting trees. This, she added, had further angered those who indulged in illegal activities such as destroying forest reserves.

``After these two attacks, and the non-cooperation of local police, we fear for our lives. After my molestation on July 29, I even called up the women's helpline number `112', but they told me over phone that they cannot come to the spot, which was highly strangem'' said Dr Jadhav, who has now written to the district authorities that they grievance should be addressed at the DySP (deputy superintendent of police) level, as they have lost faith in the junior officials.

The DySP of Kankavli division in Sindhudurg, S Adhao, told TOI that he is currently on leave, but her will ask API Sunil Avsarmane of Vaibhavwadi police to talk on the matter.

API Avsarmane said: ``The police is willing to take down their (the couple's) FIRs. Even after their alleged attack, I had sent personnel to their residence to take their statement, but Dr Jadhav did not open her house door. She had earlier admitted her husband at the hospital in Oras, but within a day she brought him back home against medical advice. The villagers, on the other hand, have made allegations against the couple.''

Dr Jadhav responded: ``We were very scared after the first assault which occurred in front of cops, and so did not open my house door. I had to take Paul out of the government hospital because the conditions there were not good, with frequent power failures.''

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