My experience with the Ahmedabad Police

On March 1, 2008, in broad daylight, a man and his son, (who are a Deputy Municipal Commissioner's brother and nephew), were trying to trespass on my property. They assaulted me with a stick and a cricket bat (I was lucky to escape serious injury) when I stopped them. After that, in front of a crowd that had gathered, they resorted stoning my building.

When the police took them away, they filed a complaint against me for assaulting them!

This incident occurred in front of at least five security staff and over fifty eyewitnesses. The 'weapons' were also recovered. Yet the police arrested me. 'Its routine', they said.

I had met both the Director General of Police and the Commissioner of Police just days before this incident, asking for their help in dealing with this man as he was threatening and intimidating our security staff. The Senior Police Inspector of the area had visited a couple of times and had warned this person to behave himself.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police of the area personally investigated the matter and even got a confession from one of the assailants. However, in the vakalat nama, there was no mention of this inquiry and key facts of the case were omitted.

Within days, different departments, directly or indirectly connected with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, raided my premises under different pretexts. My licensed takeaway food vans were impounded without explanation and I ran pillar to post, on one hand to get police protection and on the other, to get justice from AMC. I even met the DMC, to understand his brother's demands (he wants an obscene amount of money to clear an old licensing dispute that is pending in court). Pay up or suffer, as the court will take its time.

In the past eight months, I have spoken to several police officers in the highest quarters. They have yet to follow up on any of their assurances. I am also obliged to make rounds of the courts to clear my name. All this while, my assailants go about with complete impunity, continuing their terror tactics of abuse and intimidation. I am called a Muslim hater, threatened communal riots and my security staff still get threats of being 'chopped and burned'.

I have written to the police about this. Spoken to all who matter. Nothing has happened. Perhaps they are waiting for him to attack me again.

The moral of the story - don't live under the illusion that because a man is in uniform, he will guard you. Do what you can to secure yourself and always be prepared. When the time comes, only that (and destiny) can save you.

-The author is an entrepreneur who lives and works in Ahmedabad.