Mumbai: Maharashtra police are facing a lot of flak for their alleged inaction over the alleged assault of a woman by the son of a top bureaucrat in Thane. Taking a serious cognisance of the criticism, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a deputy police commissioner has been formed to probe the incident.
The 26-year-old woman, Priya Singh, who is a beautician and a model by profession, has accused Ashwajit Gaikwad, who is the son of Anil Gaikwad, Managing Director at the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation, of severely injuring her by allegedly trying to run her over with his care near a hotel in Thane city.
Thane police commissioner Jai Jeet Singh on Sunday ordered the formation of the SIT under deputy commissioner of police (Zone 5) Amar Singh for a probe into the case.
According to police, Priya was injured after her boyfriend Ashwajit allegedly tried to mow her down with his SUV car in Thane on December 11. The incident took place at around 4:30 AM near a hotel on Ghodbunder Road, where the woman had gone to meet Gaikwad.
Priya said that she was in a relationship with Ashwajit and was not aware that he was married. When she confronted him, he had allegedly told her that he and his wife were separated.
She posted about the incident on her Instagram profile and said she had gone to meet Ashwajit at 4 am on December 11 at a family function after he called her. She noticed that he was “behaving strangely” and asked to talk to him in private.
“My boyfriend slapped me, tried to strangle my neck, I tried to push him away. He bit my hand, beat me, pulled my hair and his friend out of nowhere pushed me to the ground,” Priya said on her Instagram.
She added that she ran to his car to get her phone and her bag and that’s when Ashwajit asked his driver to run her over. After running over her legs, they fled away from the site, she further said.
“Three bones in my right leg are broken, it has been operated on. From my left shoulder to my hips I've deep injuries. I cannot move my body,” Priya said.
Gaikwad has not been questioned regarding the case yet, the police said, adding that his car was currently missing. The statements of witnesses are being recorded and a forensics probe was on, they said.
However, Ashwajit has refuted all the allegations made by Priya, according to sources. He also called the entire incident an attempt to “extort money,” they added.
Atul Londhe, who is the chief spokesperson of the Maharashtra Congress, has alleged that Ashwajit was not arrested because he was the son of a bureaucrat.
