Woman Accident Victim Treated Unfairly by Mapusa Cops, Mahila Congress Cries Foul
MAPUSA: Goa State Mahila Congress president Pratiksha Khalap on Saturday alleged a breakdown of law and order in the state, calling out Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and claiming that his promises of Yuva Kalyan, Mahila Kalyan, Garib Kalyan, and Kisan Kalyan are hollow.
She cited the case of Tivim resident Sweena Colaço, who was rear-ended by a car driven by a man using his mobile phone in October last year. Instead of addressing her complaint promptly, she was allegedly made to wait at the police station for over eight hours. Now, more than six months later, no action has been taken, and her vehicle remains in police custody while the accused was allowed to drive away with his car the same day.
State Mahila Congress president Pratiksha Khalap, who raised the matter on Saturday, said, “When a person—especially a woman—approaches a police station, they do so with the hope of being treated fairly and receiving justice. Instead, they attempted to coerce her into stating that the accident was self-inflicted.”
“She was taken to the police station to file her complaint. She arrived at 12 noon, and after her medical checkup, returned to the station by 1 p.m. Between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m., she was kept there because police constable Tushar Redkar failed to take her written complaint for more than eight hours,” Khalap alleged.
“And today, more than six months later, there has been no action from the police. Her vehicle is still at the station, while the accused took his vehicle home the very same day. This, despite the fact that he claimed to be a government officer and said nothing would happen to him,” she added.
Eyewitnesses reported that the accused was using his phone while driving and rear-ended Colaço, causing her to be thrown onto the road. Fortunately, she did not suffer serious injuries, but her two-wheeler was completely written off, including damage to the chassis. She finally reached home only at 10:30 p.m. on the day of the accident.
“What are we to understand from this? This is not an isolated case. In Pernem, a molestation case involving a Dalit girl was registered only after public outcry—because the accused was a government employee. The victim should have been helped immediately. Instead, she had to approach the Mahila Congress or an NGO. Why is it that victims must seek external intervention for justice? Is she not a citizen with rights?” Khalap questioned.
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