JOIN USAccusing the district police of tardy investigation, Vasai MLA Vivek Pandit today said the DSP never bothered to look into the serious issue which resulted into the death of 35-year-old Jhipru Mukane.
The tribal was allegedly beaten and later locked in a small room by his employers Balu Chowdhari, a brick kiln owner and his son Ganesh in Shere village, on October 27, according to a complaint lodged by his wife Jayabai.
Pandit in a representation to the State Home Minister R R Patil today demanded a CID probe into the entire episode as he said a number of police personnel besides the doctors were also a party to hushing up the matter.
He said local police swung in action only after the Bombay High Court taking suo motu notice of the incident.
The police had charged the accused trio, namely Balu Chowdhary and his sons Ganesh and Bunty under sections 302 (murder), 306 (abetment of suicide) and 374 (unlawful compulsory labour) of IPC along with sections 16 and 17 of the Atrocities Act.
According to Jayabai, wife of the victim, local police did not file FIR despite her repeated pleas.
On November 12, she saw Jhipru locked in a small room where he could barely lie down, his hands and feet were chained and there were bruises all over his body, she alleged.
She pleaded for his release with the duo but they refused and drove her away.
Jayabai then went to Vashind police station to lodge a complaint but police allegedly refused to take it down stating that she should wait for her husband to return.
On November 22 night, two constables from Vashind informed her about the death of her husband. The body of Jhipru was also not handed over to her, she alleged.
DSP Rajesh Kumar Mor when contacted said he was not aware of the incident and would find out details and revert.
Meanwhile, Pandit said the victim was taken to a private hospital of Dr Shailendra Kamble at Bhiwandi for treatment by one of the accused, as he was badly wounded.
The tribal died while undergoing treatment on Nov 20, Pandit said, adding that the role of the private doctor and the postmortem conducted at CS Hospital in Kalwa town was highly suspicious.
Pandit further said that the tribal was not only chained and locked in the dark room but was brutally tortured by the accused.
Meanwhile, sources said Jhipru had defaulted payment of Rs 8500 to the accused.
The MLA also informed that he would meet R R Patil along with the widow of the victim to bring to his notice glaring lapses on part of local police.