Court grants bail to ‘racist’ trio’s attacker

A day after she was arrested, bail order to release a Manipuri woman was issued by Bandra court on Monday.

On Sunday, the woman, along with friends, was abused by a gang of three men at Kalina, Santa Cruz, and a cross-first information report (FIR) was filed against her for hitting back at her assailants in defence and she was sent to jail.

According to an official from Vakola police, which is investigating the case, the accused had a medical statement from V.N. Desai Hospital confirming injury so they had to lodge an FIR against the woman.

At about 2 am on Sunday, the Manipuri woman (25) and her friend, Niggreen Jermick, were returning from a friend’s birthday party when three men started passing lewd, racial comments at the woman.

A police official said that both the accused and her friends were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident and the accused, being uneducated, were unaware that passing lewd, racial remarks is a punishable crime.

The accused have been identified as Sudarshan Gaikwad (46) and Deepak Gandhela (25). The third person is absconding.

At some point during the brawl, the Manipuri woman picked up a stone and hurled it at Gaikwad, who suffered a deep gash and started bleeding. He was rushed to V.N. Desai Hospital and underwent a medical examination, after which he was moved to the police station where he lodged a complaint against the woman and her three friends:

Yangmi Shibre (26), David Marza (32) and Aapan Shimre (24). According to an official, the FIR against Gaikwad and Gandhela was registered under Sections 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 354 (outraging a woman’s modesty) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code while the Manipuri woman and her female friends were charged under Section 323 for voluntarily causing hurt.