79-yr-old widow seeks support for legal battle on Facebook

A 79-year-old widow has gathered support of over 2,400 followers from India and abroad on social networking website for her legal battle against Maharashtra police officials over her "illegal arrest".

Mumbai: A 79-year-old widow has gathered support of over 2,400 followers from India and abroad on a social networking website for her legal battle against Maharashtra police officials over her "illegal arrest".

Mohini Kamwani, along with her 58-year-old son Dilip, have been seeking support on social networking website Facebook, claiming they were illegally arrested by police last year. The mother-son duo were arrested on January 25 last year for threatening to commit suicide on Republic Day to protest against alleged police inaction over a property dispute. "My son and I were demanding action against certain police officers who were harassing us. Seeing inaction and being helpless, we had written to authorities that we would commit suicide. Following which police had arrested us and we were put in jail on a local court`s order," Mohini said. She claimed that no legal procedure was followed before arresting them. "No women police officer was present when I was arrested with my son. We were bundled into the van with no regard to my age. For which, we moved a criminal writ petition in Mumbai High Court in May last year. The case is being heard by the court," she said. Mohini updates all news related to the court proceedings on Facebook. "I feel sad that a wife of a freedom fighter is being treated like this," she said. There is a group of lawyers who help Kamwanis in their legal battle, said Barbara, an Australian social activist working in India. PTI