Here's How The Mumbai Police Delivered Justice To A Gay Man Who Was Assaulted In Broad Daylight

"It was a big victory, I think community members need to stand up to these things and there is support available."

On October 11, a member of the LGBT community in Mumbai, Divyaroop Ananda, attended an event at The Hive, in Khar.

Via facebook.com

During a break between talks, Divyaroop and his friend Vinay stepped out to get a cigarette, and while walking back to the venue, they were assaulted by six people at around 3 p.m.

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Divyaroop told Buzzfeed, "There were a few people standing around, young guys, around 25 years old. I had blond hair at that time, I was wearing make-up and my black leggings. They saw me and Vinay, and by my look it was pretty obvious, that I was gay. They passed lewd comments, but I ignored them because I personally don't like to pick fights".

"There was this one guy on the opposite side of the road. Suddenly, he crossed the road, and he stood extremely close to my face, and was smelling of beer. He then started touching my private area, and I was stunned."

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"By the time I realised what was happening, I heard other people screaming and before I knew it my hair was being pulled, I was being beaten, they were kicking me in my crotch. They abused me in Hindi, and hit me with sticks on my back. I tried to defend myself, but there were six of them."

After some time, a lady and two other guys from the nearby area (pictured above) came and tried to break the fight apart, ushering Divyaroop to the other side of the road.

"Vinay tried to go and get help, and bring people from The Hive. But by the time they arrived, the men had dispersed," he said.

After the incident, Divyaroop was advised to not report the incident as nothing would come of it.

Via facebook.com

But Divyaroop didn't back down.

"I'm an activist, I fight for what I believe in. But I will not give up so easily, and this time something drastic had happened to me personally," Divyaroop said.

After getting in touch with Sonal Giani, a member of an LGBT NGO called Humsafar Trust, Divyaroop contacted a lawyer and began to file a case against his attackers.

Sonal Giani

"We went to meet the cops at Khar police station, and submitted the complaint. The cops were genuinely helpful, asking me why I waited for so long to file the complaint. The cop who noted the complaint was Rajvardhan Indulkar, who then directed them to Assistant Police Inspector Shashikant Padave, who lodged the final First Information Report (FIR). He was extremely helpful during the process."

Giani told BuzzFeed, "The police have been quite supportive through this entire matter".

Via facebook.com

"Divyaroop was quite brave and courageous to do this, and a lot of people told him there was no point. It was a big victory, I think community members need to stand up to these things and there is support available. And I think that Mr. Padave needs a special mention, he's been extremely supportive, and made us feel very comfortable. He filed the FIR swiftly and caught the people swiftly as well," she added.

Mumbai- based LGBT activist Harish Iyer also commented on the entire incident.

Via Facebook: harishiyer

Divyaroop further stated that the Khar police assured him that they would seek justice, and a few days later contacted him stating that they had the men in custody.

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If you're a member of the LGBT community and need assistance in any way, you can contact the Humsafar Trust through their Facebook page or call them directly at [phone]

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