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Regular-article-logo Tuesday, 07 May 2024

Moral cop vocabulary: girl’s ‘boundaries’, ‘night comer’

A Bypass housing complex president had refused to hear a young woman’s complaint because she was wearing shorts

Subhankar Chowdhury Calcutta Published 29.08.19, 09:32 PM
The 22-year-old was accused of not being “properly dressed — culminating in obscene scene”

The 22-year-old was accused of not being “properly dressed — culminating in obscene scene” Shutterstock

The president of a Bypass housing complex who had refused to hear a young woman’s complaint because she was wearing shorts has lodged an FIR against her, accusing her of disgraceful behaviour and urging police “to interrogate the affair and boundaries of the girl”.

The woman, Yishi Chakraborty, had to obtain anticipatory bail to fly to Ireland for her postgraduate studies.

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In the complaint lodged with Garfa police station, Nibir Dasgupta, the president of Ruchira Residency Apartment Owners’ Association, accused the 22-year-old of not being “properly dressed — culminating in obscene scene”.

Yishi had gone to the association’s office on July 22 evening to complain that a plumber she had hired to fix a leaking pipe in the washroom of her apartment was not being allowed to enter the complex.

“The girl barged into the office agitatedly at around 7.30pm in a disgraceful way shouting and accusing the management with dirty language that attracted the attention of those present in the room when they found that the girl was not properly dressed — culminating in an obscene scene in the office under the fluorescent light which compelled the inmates (to) shut their eyes and advise the girl to get properly dressed before narrating grievance if any for redressal….

“I keep the defamation suit pending, but I lodge FIR to interrogate the affair and boundaries of the girl. I also lodge this FIR to arrest the obscenity of the said girl in the office and in the entire housing complex in any manner whatsoever…. The girl is the queen. She is found suspect as noticed with various characters. She leads a very luxurious life and a night comer. We do not exactly know what her profession is. Her disrespectful appearance with obscene dresses cannot be tolerated by any educated person…. In the present circumstances, to avoid the destruction of peaceful atmosphere of the complex and to promote the moral value, a thorough interrogation to be made to bring the offender to the book.”

Sub-inspector Bandhu Charan Pal received the complaint on the night of August 7.

Pal had visited Yishi’s flat on July 29 to register her complaint against Dasgupta, following which a case was started against him.

When contacted on Thursday, Pal declined comment.

The police have drawn up a case under IPC sections 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 323 (offence of voluntarily causing hurt) and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) against Yishi.

The history graduate from Presidency University had to take anticipatory bail from Alipore chief judicial magistrate’s court on August 19, two days before she left for Ireland. The anticipatory bail will be in force till February 5.

Repeated calls to Dasgupta went unanswered. He did not reply to the text messages from Metro either. This newspaper asked him in the messages whether the woman had launched any physical attack and what kinds of “dangerous weapons” were used.

Some residents of Ruchira Residency said the FIR was aimed at scuppering Yishi’s plans to fly abroad for higher studies.

“The incident had taken place on July 22. Dasgupta lodged the complaint on August 7. Why he had to wait so long? ” asked a resident.

“On August 7, an acquaintance of Dasgupta had written to the West Bengal Commission for Women that the association president was out of town till August 20 because of some work and would not be able to attend the commission’s hearing on August 9. If he was out of town on August 7, how he could visit Garfa police station and lodge a complaint?” wondered another resident.

Yishi had written to the commission on July 24 narrating the ordeal she had to face on July 22. Based on the letter, the commission had summoned Dasgupta to attend a hearing.

Yishi texted this newspaper from Ireland: “Have you heard of ‘Let it go’ in the Frozen? Well I am not letting this go in any way obviously. This person is… vengeful and should be made to assume responsibility for what he has done. The way he is unabashedly spewing more lies and trying to harass me further for standing up for myself, it is clear that he is a bully with no conscience or regret….

I just want to forget about the trauma I went through just before I could start a new exciting a chapter in my life.... I will get justice through legal system and I have hope. Let’s see where that takes me.

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