Mumbai shamed: People stood mute as eve-teasers attacked

www.mangaloretoday.com

Mumbai, Nov 3, 2011: Mumbai’s reputation as a safe city just went for a toss. People stood mute spectators as a bunch of eve-teasers stabbed two youths at Amboli. Ruben Fernandes, one of the youths hurt while trying to protect his friend succumbed to his injuries on Monday. His friend Keenan Santos, who was also knifed in the incident, had died 11 days ago.

“People stood there watching…did nothing,” said Priyanka Fernandes, Keenan Santos’ girlfriend, according to a CNN-IBN report. She added that her sense of security was shattered.

Both Rueben (28)  and Keenan (25) were attacked with  choppers  by a group of four after the duo objected to their indecent behaviour  towards the girls with whom they had gone on an outing.

“Fernandes was injured on October 20 outside Amboli Bar and Restaurant on Caesar Road. He died on October 31 night while undergoing treatment in Kokilaben Hospital,” said inspector VD Bhoite of D N Nagar police station.

Sentos, a former chef in a hotel, died soon after the incident while Fernandes, who was unemployed, was undergoing treatment in Kokilaben Hospital since then, Bhoite added.

Sentos and Fernandes, along with five others, including three girls, had gone to the bar to have dinner and watch a cricket match on a giant screen put up there. After a while, they came out of the restaurant and were standing near a pan shop when the incident had occurred, police said.

Following the attack, police searched the area to nab the accused who were identified as Jitendra Rana (25), Sunil Bote (20), Satish Dulgaj (35) and Deepak Tival (19). They were later traced and arrested. One of them is a labourer, another is a barber while the rest are unemployed, police said.

The four accused were booked under IPC sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).

There is an outpouring of grief and anger on social networking sites. A Facebook page with 20000 fans is trying to build a pressure on the authorities.

Keenan’s girlfriend describes how he was killed
19-year-old Priyanka Fernandes speaks about her horrifying ordeal on October 20, when she lost her boyfriend Keenan Santos and friend Reuben Fernandes, who stood up to some local goons who were harassing the girls in their group.

It was one of our regular evenings out, with our regular group of inseparable friends, at our regular rendezvous, just a short walk away from our homes. How could the most commonplace evening out end in such a tragedy, costing me two of my most loved friends? The fateful night of October 20 is branded in my memory, as it was then that I learnt of the ruthless ways of this world, where those who raise their voice against injustice and depravity have to pay for their creed with their lives.

Like most other city girls my age, I was enjoying the company of my friends, blissfully oblivious to the horrors that awaited us. I remember that it was about 10:30 pm, and the stretch outside Amboli Bar and Kitchen, where we had dined, was bustling with life. The nearby cafe, a regular haunt for local youth, was doing brisk business, and the doors to a political party’s office, to our right, were wide open.

After dinner, we were taking a leisurely stroll, and had stopped for paan, when disaster struck. The goons who had harassed us a while ago returned with their cronies, who brandished weapons. They started brutally assaulting the guys in our group.

Screamed for help
When my friends Keenan and Reuben were being stabbed repeatedly, mercilessly, I could see at least 50 eyewitnesses, who stood like stone, unmoving and unmoved, as we screamed for help. Not one came forward to join the fray, to help us fight against a reprehensible crime.

I am proud of my friends. They did not stand by and tolerate the brazen disrespect that our assailants displayed for women. They took the blows, uncomplainingly. I am equally disappointed with God’s own people, who turned away, afraid that they would have to bear the brunt of a fight that was not theirs. They knew that we were fighting injustice.

Unearthly hour
10:30 pm is not an unearthly hour. There are girls in this city who work in BPOs, and return to their homes in the wee hours of the morning, when the streets are deserted. What will happen to them? Who will fight for them? Will they be slaughtered too, for offering to help? Should no one stand up to protest what is wrong?

Grateful
I am grateful to the many people who have shown solidarity and support in our hours of grief. But I fail to comprehend certain things. We dined at the restaurant every week, we walked those very streets every day. But none of the restaurant employees, and not one of the local security guards came forward to help us, even though they knew us well.

When the goons came back for us, Keenan pushed me into the restaurant, and fought for my honour. He took the blows till he dropped. All the while, I kept dialing 100 on my phone, to seek help from the cops. Even when Keenan collapsed, I was still on hold. No one answered my call.

I rushed to his side. He tried to speak, but lost consciousness. His abdomen had been torn apart. We had planned our entire future together. He was building the foundations of our life together, and was about to embark to Dubai to work as a bartender. But those hopes and dreams have lost all meaning, just because some men insisted on having their way with us, and couldn’t stomach the slap that they received in return. The only response they knew was of violence, so they came back with 17 other men, who brandished knives, bamboos and daggers to avenge their leaders.

The other two girls who accompanied me that night are too afraid to speak about their harrowing experience. Our lives have come to a screeching halt, and our families are still reeling from the shock. Initially, I was afraid as well. But now I have decided not to surrender to fear. I’ll be strong and fearless, as that is the legacy left behind by Keenan. In all our four years together, I saw him spread joy, help the elderly and respect women.

I would always go about saying boldly that a few untoward incidents should not prevent girls from enjoying themselves. Even today, I stand by what I said. But I hope that men in the city will learn from Keenan’s fearlessness, and not turn a blind eye to such situations. These goons think that they always have it their way. We should change their ideas.


Man who lost son to eve-teasers stands unmoved
Father of Keenan Santos, who died after stabbed for taking on eve-teasers in Mumbai, on Thursday praised his son’s bravado, saying he wants his other sons to also fight crime against women.

"I lost my son and I wish, I say, I have another two sons and I wish them also to be brave and to never bow down in front of this," Keenan’s father Valerian Santos said.

"Why are we allowing all these criminals to roam freely? Why are we not doing anything about it?" asked Keenan’s father Valerian Santos.