AMMGSU denounces 'ill treatment' of street vendor Apabi by City Police
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 11 2022: All Manipur Muslim Girl Students' Union (AMMGSU) has strongly condemned the thrashing of 47 year old Apabi while in custody of City Police and called for suspension along with appropriate punishment for the police personnel involved.

In a statement, AMMGSU shared that Apabi, who hails from Lilong Mairelkhul, is a street vendor who sells bananas in a small alley at Ema Keithel.

Reportedly, Apabi was approached by two women who accused her of picking up their money bag and demanded its return.

An ensuing argument broke out as Apabi denied the allegation and the two unnamed women resorted to complaining to the City Police who promptly took Apabi into custody, the statement claimed.

The statement went on to allege that while in custody, Apabi was brutally beaten up and met with threats to douse her with boiling water and pricked with needles unless she confessed to taking the money bag.

After suffering for 2/3 hours, Apabi was released due to lack of proof that she took the missing money bag, the statement claimed.

In this regard, AMMGSU stated that it is beyond the ambit of the law to take a person into custody and beat them up mercilessly based on a simple complaint with no supporting evidence.

AMMGSU also pointed out the recurring nature of the incident stating that Muslim women are often subjected to allegations of thefts and similar petty crimes and thrashed.

Muslim women, such as Apabi, step out of their homes to eke out a living to feed, clothe and educate their children but are often met with such violent acts of discrimination, AMMGSU claimed.

AMMGSU also expressed shock that female police personnel who are supposed to protect and serve women have instead turned on their fellow women.

AMMGSU called this a source of embarrassment for the Home Department.

Condemning the incident in the strongest terms, AMMGSU has appealed to Chief Minister N Biren Singh to look into the matter and demanded the suspension of the police personnel involved.

Comment