MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA

On Saturday, June 16, 2012, film-maker Faiza Khan was threatened and an attempt was made to snatch her camera when she was shooting for a documentary on the struggle of residents of Sion-Koliwada in Mumbai against builders who are seeking re-development of the area.

Khan is the director of the award-winning documentary 'Supermen of Malegaon' , which is due for a commercial release this week.

In a complaint filed before the joint commissioner of police , Law and order, the film-maker said that some members of a builder - Shahana Developers - tried to prevent her from shooting and one of them snatched at her camera. A woman amongst the group, identified as Kalpana, jumped on the film-maker's back from behind and attacked her. Officers and constables of Sion police station who were present at the site did not intervene, the complaint said.

Other locals intervened and managed to push the woman away from Faiza Khan.

Sion Koliwada has been the scene on a number of protests from the indigenous 'koli' community, who are recognised at Mumbai's original residents. Now confied to 'wadis' , their land is being redeveloped and residents of this area have said that their consent was obtained fraudulently.

Following the complaint, a delegation of journalists led by Shakil Ahmad, the editor of 'Janata'ki-Aaina' , a local Hindi newspaper that takes up ctizens issues, lodged a protest with Sion Police Station. Senior Inspector S Gadekhush promised to hold an inquiry into the incident and the inaction of the police at the time.