A woman vendor was seriously injured after boiling water was poured on her when police forced their way to remove street vendors on Mahal Road in Jaipur to clear the way for Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma’s convoy last Friday.
The matter came to light on Monday after the woman’s sister filed a case alleging that the police acted domineeringly without any prior warning or instructions to evacuate the area.
Boiling water allegedly fell on her after a policeman pushed and overturned the vendor’s cart following an altercation.
The woman said in her complaint that there was no police presence or warning before Sharma’s convoy arrived. “No one asked me to move. Without any warning, the policemen deployed there suddenly overturned the boiling water container in my Momo cart. I tried to stop them and told them that there was boiling water and that I would move the cart myself, but they did not listen.”
She said that boiling water fell on her arms, chest, stomach and thighs, causing severe burns. “I was in unbearable pain and suffered psychological trauma. When my sister, who was with me, protested, she was also mistreated.”
The woman said they belong to Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh and moved to Jaipur with her sister and mother after their father’s death. She added that she created the Momo cart to support the family, which is their primary source of income.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Ranjita Sharma said they reviewed CCTV footage and, prima facie, it appears that the police asked them to move and leave after advising them. “It is possible that the seller moved the cart and water fell during the process. The investigation is ongoing, and efforts are being made to obtain more footage, which will help establish the facts.”
