Mumbai Shame: Dying women victims of Elphinstone stampede molested, robbed

Even before the horror and pain of stampede at Mumbai's Elphinstone Bridge could pass, a series of shocking videos have made it to the internet which show women victims being groped or robbed as they lie in the pile of bodies. 

The Mumbai Police has reportedly launched a probe into alleged instances of theft and molestation reported by eyewitnesses after Friday’s stampede. 

One video clip shows a woman victim being molested by a bystander as she lay beneath a pile of victims on the bridge. The woman in the video can be seen reaching out to help, however instead of helping the man gropes her. Seconds later her hands drop motionless as she breathes her last. 

For this victim, her last memory was filled with helplessness for not just against crushing crowd but also deep-seated misogyny stripping away her dignity as she passes away to a better universe. 

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Another viral video shows ornaments being removed from the bodies of the victims. 

An eyewitness Jayshree Kanade told The Hindu that when the stampede occurred, said, “Many people stole purses and gold ornaments from women victims. This molestation video is really shameful. How can someone molest a girl fighting for life and asking for help? The culprits should be punished.”

“We are studying the video recordings and investigating the cases of thefts and molestation reported to us,” said Sunil Deshmukh, assistant commissioner of police.

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