'NCP man' targets Mumbai gay fundraiser
MUMBAI: A week before the city's lesbian, gay, transgender community celebrates its annual 'Pride Week', a dinner party at an Oshiwara Hotel to raise funds was targeted by a local political party worker. Haji Ahmed Sahab, who claims to be a worker of the Nationalist Congress Party, said that he was tipped off that "unlawful" activities were going on in the party so raided the premises with the police. However, the police stated that there was no illegal activity in the party so they decided not to take any action against the organizers.
Gay rights activists present at the party said that trouble started on the night of January 13, 2011, when activist Ahmed gate-crashed into a private party organized in the hotel.
"Ahmed first entered the party as a guest and was video recording the people without their consent," said Vivek Anand, CEO of Humsafar. "Later we came to know that he was not a guest and that he was accompanied with police from the Oshiwara police station."
"He told us that his party has filed a petition against the 2nd July 2009 Delhi high court judgment that decriminalised homosexuality. He threatened that a case would be lodged under section 377 of the IPC. He kept insisting that music be shut down and that it was illegal to hold a gay party in India," said activist Pallav Patankar. "While all this was happening the police was a silent spectator and did nothing to stop him."
The party was shut down though all permissions were in place, claimed the activists. Subsequently, they approached the Oshiwara police. "Police told us they were acting on a complaint filed by Ahmad," said Patankar. The police also registered a non cognizable complaint by Ahmad that his car had been damaged.
When contacted by TOI, Ahmed said, "We are not against the community. Our objection was that they provide 'dark room' in such parties to promote prostitution so we informed the police about it. The police should investigate about it." Ahmad said that he was office bearer of a human rights organization and was associated with a minorities' council.
Senior police inspector of Oshiwara police station Dilip Rupwate said, "We checked the premises on Ahmed's complaint but found nothing objectionable. We closed the matter considering it as a minor incident and will enquire about it if someone approaches us with complaint."
LGBT groups expressed outrage and are now planning to approach the police against Ahmad. "We are planning to lodge a complaint against Ahmed who caused harassment, trauma and mental torture to over 250 innocent human beings who had come to support a community cause and the Pride Walk on January 28," said Ashok Row Kavi, founder of Humsafar and President of the Integrated Network for Sexual Minorities (INFOSEM).
'NCP man' targets Mumbai gay fundraiser - The Times of India
