Around 30 young couples at Bandra Band Stand had a harrowing time on Saturday night when they were rounded by the police and taken to the local police station.
According to eye-witnesses, eight couples sitting near the seaside promenade were rudely interrupted by two police officials at around 9 p.m.
"They were not sitting on the rocks which is a dangerous place in the night. None of them were misbehaving or were in compromising positions. But the police still rounded them up and took them to the police station," said an eye witness. The couples were booked for obscene behaviour in public places and released on a personal bond of Rs 1,200. Police officials were not available for comments.
Bandra resident and civic activist Kekoo Gandhi went to the police station after local residents came to him and complained about the highhandedness of the police. "When I went to the police station the senior inspector Kisan Shengal told me that he was acting on complaints by local residents about prostitution and young girls being led astray," Mr Gandhi said. According to Mr Shengal, the residents had complained when they saw two girls in school uniform there.
However, Mr Gandhi said the police had indiscriminately rounded up couples. One couple said they had just been married and were walking down the promenade arm-in-arm when the police swooped down on them.
Activists say cops have for long been meting out worse treatment to couples who come to Band Stand from places as far as Virar to snatch a few moments of privacy. Two years ago, the police had rounded up 40 persons, including couples. They were taken to the police station, made to wait for over two hours and let-off only after their names and adresses were jotted down. A few single men from the group were beaten and abused by policemen in the police station.
According to eye-witnesses, eight couples sitting near the seaside promenade were rudely interrupted by two police officials at around 9 p.m.
"They were not sitting on the rocks which is a dangerous place in the night. None of them were misbehaving or were in compromising positions. But the police still rounded them up and took them to the police station," said an eye witness. The couples were booked for obscene behaviour in public places and released on a personal bond of Rs 1,200. Police officials were not available for comments.
Bandra resident and civic activist Kekoo Gandhi went to the police station after local residents came to him and complained about the highhandedness of the police. "When I went to the police station the senior inspector Kisan Shengal told me that he was acting on complaints by local residents about prostitution and young girls being led astray," Mr Gandhi said. According to Mr Shengal, the residents had complained when they saw two girls in school uniform there.
However, Mr Gandhi said the police had indiscriminately rounded up couples. One couple said they had just been married and were walking down the promenade arm-in-arm when the police swooped down on them.
Activists say cops have for long been meting out worse treatment to couples who come to Band Stand from places as far as Virar to snatch a few moments of privacy. Two years ago, the police had rounded up 40 persons, including couples. They were taken to the police station, made to wait for over two hours and let-off only after their names and adresses were jotted down. A few single men from the group were beaten and abused by policemen in the police station.
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