The Aam Aadmi Party Mumbai, today, expressed grief, and horror at the rape and murder of a woman in Sakinaka, an incident which has shaken every Mumbaikar to the core. Our city is considered to be a safe city, and we assume that it is a city where women can travel alone, unaccompanied late in the night. This incident has shattered that belief. While we understand that the accused has been arrested, that he will be tried for rape and murder, and be given the strictest punishment that is possible under Indian law; what we fail to understand is how such an incident could occur in the first place.

The only seeming reason for this, and other horrendous crimes becoming the norm in Maharashtra, is the complete erosion of trust in law enforcement and the police force. In the never-ending battle between the BJP on one side, and the MVA on the other, the Maharashtra Police force has been ripped to shreds, and is losing its legitimacy in people’s minds with each passing day. There is a lookout notice against a former Police Commissioner, an IPS officer has been accused of running the extortion mafia and several other illicit businesses in the city, and a municipal co-commissioner had her fingers chopped off in broad daylight. It is evident that people of the city have stopped fearing the law, leading to countless incidents of breakdown of law and order, and now this: the most horrific of all crimes – a rape, torture, and murder of the most brutal and savage nature possible.

These crimes are no longer isolated incidents, but go on to show that people no longer have faith in the police force, and the political parties in power. Instead of taking measures to reform the police force, ensuring that errant police officers are swiftly incarcerated, or taking steps to reinstate public faith in law enforcement, Mumbai’s political parties are busy in political one-upmanship. All bureaucrats and police officers have to side with one political party or the other, when they should actually be siding with and fighting for our citizens. Their allegiance should lie with the state of Maharashtra, and sadly, that is not the case anymore.

“The Aam Aadmi Party demands that errant police officers be arrested and be punished for what they have done. We demand that there is a reform in the police force, and that our Chief Minister, and senior leaders like Devendra Fadnavis & Sharad Pawar stand together to ensure that crime comes to an end in this city. Our administration and law enforcement owe it to the public to stop this degeneracy, while the public owes it to ensure that these people don’t come back into power again.” said Preeti Sharma Menon, AAP National Executive Member and Mumbai Prabhari.

Yours Sincerely,
AAP Mumbai Media Team