Mumbai Police commissioner on Sunday ordered investigation into the last week’s raids on hotels and guest houses in Madh Island, where more than 40-odd couples were rounded up and allegedly harassed and humiliated.
The news of this what many called police’s brutality sent shock waves across India with civil society expressing their disgust and anger on social media platforms.
New CCTV footage at from one of the guest houses raided, shows how police, after arriving at the hotel, forcibly asked the hotel staff to wait outside while they remained inside checking on every room and arresting the consenting couples.
Harish Shetty, managing director of one of the hotels, said the police told him they were only carrying out the orders of the Deputy Commissioner of Police.
He said, “They came and locked all gates, didn’t allow anyone to leave. We had 17 guests. A lady police constable knocked on all doors and checked them.”
Shetty also confirmed the news that the couples were made to pay fines of Rs 1200 each before being forced to call their parents.
He added, “One of the women had come with her fiance. Asked embarrassing questions, she slapped one of the lady constables. The lady constable hit her back. The next day the woman came to me and asked me to reimburse the fine she was required to pay.”
One 19-old-old girl had talked about her humiliation, which was prompting her to commit suicide. Another girl had shared her loss of face at home even though she was there with fiancée who was marrying next month. She said that her parents had stopped talking to her.
Many prominent members of civil society had taken to twitter to express her outrage likening Mumbai cops with Taliban.