Mumbai: Dog And Owner Beaten Up By Rickshaw Drivers In Kandivali; Samta Nagar Police Files FIR After 24 Hours

A lawyer and his pet dog were beaten up by auto rickshaw drivers in the Lokhandwala Township area of Kandivali East on Wednesday night after one of them was asked to drive carefully. Even though the man and his dog suffered injuries in the attack, the Samta Nagar police were reluctant to file an FIR as the police sub inspector in-charge was allegedly busy having dinner.

On Wednesday 9.30pm, Sameer Qazi took his dog out for a walk when a rickshaw being driven in a zigzag way brushed past the animal. On being asked to drive carefully, the driver got agitated and allegedly started hitting Qazi, who said that the other drivers standing nearby were also called and they together thrashed him and his pet.

Talking to the Free Press journal, Qazi said, “They tried to push me into the rickshaw, wanting to take me somewhere but I managed to pick up my dog in my arms and ran towards my housing society. After hitting us for almost four minutes, they even followed us till the society but backed off when they saw security guards at the gate.”

While Qazi suffered a nose bleed and bruises on his collar bone, his dog got a swollen leg from the punches; it has been put on painkillers by the veterinarian. Qazi, who is a corporate lawyer with a well-known pharmaceutical brand, reached the Samta Nagar police station to lodge a complaint with a bleeding nose but the police allegedly made him wait for 30 minutes. When finally ready to hear him, they said the FIR can be lodged only after a medical check but refused to take Qazi to a hospital. Qazi then returned home and consulted his family doctor.

“This was absolutely callous on part of the police, who are mandated to tend to injured people immediately and, if needed, take them personally to hospital for medical care. It is shocking to experience such things in a city like Mumbai,” Qazi said.

Following the incident, the residents of Lokhandwala Township have again raised concerns regarding the law and order situation in the area. The police officers in Samta Nagar have been previously called out by them on multiple occasions for their ineffectiveness in maintaining law and order.

Shishir Shetty, the founder of Lokhandwala Residents Association, said, “There is minimal policing happening in the area. So many cases are reported daily but barely any action is taken, leaving many victims waiting for justice. It is high time that the senior police authorities look into the working of Samta Nagar police.”

After Qazi tried to fight back the rickshaw drivers, they called up few more men who arrived on bikes and joined the rickshaw drivers in hitting him and his dog. LRA founder Shishir Shetty assisted Qazi to get medical examination done and also conveyed about the incident to senior police officials, after which the Samta Nagar police contacted Qazi to commence the procedure for FIR. After more than 24 hours, the police have finally filed an FIR with non bailable sections against the group of men who thrashed the lawyer and his dog.