When you go to college, you get to live in your own make-believe world as an adult.

I was one such daydreamer. Go to classes, come back and enjoy solitude. Keeping myself away from any skeletons hiding around the gates of my society, waiting to pounce.

Humans are possessive of their territory too. Defending it from stray humans. And we, the unmarried (unaccounted for) fall in the minority. The government is yet to recognize us.

Between changing my home every year and fighting for my deposit, I had hope. One day, I will be an advocate. People will listen. Things will change.

It took me 9 years to let go of this illusion. To accept that the city I live in, is a village in disguise. The metro is yet to run.

…

I had only heard the real horror stories.

This time, I knew the victims. As they were stopped from entering their rented flats, by temporary “security guards” hired by, who knows?

Imagine being a 20-year-old, standing outside your society for hours, pleading them to let you go in, at least to get some of your stuff temporarily, crying, afraid of calling up their parents and stressing them out, and with no idea where you will spend the night.

To help avoid a repeat by inspiration use of muscle power against bachelors, my juniors, girls, students, I wrote a letter to the Police Commissioner Kachari, bringing the issue to his attention and sent copies to all the relevant police stations.

09.12.2021 1:30 PM

The Police Commissioner Office

The Police Commissioner was not available so we went to meet his PA. I gave a copy of the letter to him.

Conversation with Mr. PA, after reading the letter:

PA: लड़कियाँ धंधा करती हो तो

Landlord: No Sir, they are students of Nirma University. All girls have a rent agreement and police verification done. 

PA: This society does not fall under our jurisdiction. 

Me: Sir, the security agency is from Chandkheda. We need an investigation against said security agency keeping tenants out of society. 

PA: Society wants security guards. If there is any issue in Ahmedabad, then come here. Go to Gandhinagar, Adalaj.

The man sitting behind the table, in a responsible position towards citizens, all citizens, using a derogatory term for women, assuming them to be criminals and hence society being justly scared of them, hired the bouncers. 

He never met the girls, but all information was in the letter which he read. And then, this.

I was so hopeful. I did not realize the depth of prejudice our system holds against women, girls, female. This is the situation of the Police Commissioner’s office in a metropolitan city.

Not one question over the status of security agency though muscle power misuse is more prevalent than prostitutes during daytime.

Section 339 in The Indian Penal Code. 

339. Wrongful restraint. — Whoever voluntarily obstructs any person so as to prevent that person from proceeding in any direction in which that person has a right to proceed, is said wrongfully to restrain that person.

According to him, the security agency was just doing its job.  

So a licensed Security Agency under the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act 2005 should not ask any preliminary questions regarding the “civil security” they are providing and from whom? 

Tomorrow, I can hire “guards” to keep people out of their homes too. All I have to do is give a prescription of the people I want to keep out of “my area.” 

https://www.news18.com/news/india/no-framework-to-regulate-private-security-agencies-sc-606231.html

Part 2: https://priyasogani.com/detective-me-investigating-the-security-agency/