Reduced to penury, the constables have been running from pillar to post to get themselves reinstated. When an appeal to the inquiry commission was rejected, they approached the then Minister of State for Home Gajanan Kirtikar and Deputy Chief Minister Home Minister Gopinath Munde, but they have yet to hear anything from the government.

``What were we expected to do? How could we face our attackers withonly lathis when they were armed with a gun and a sword?'' asks Koli who, along with his colleague, has been living in absolute poverty for lack of an alternative mode of income.

Koli's wife Jaywantibai, who is bed-ridden due to paralysis on her left side three years ago, could only cry attempting to fold her hands in a namaste when this reporter visited their one-room home in Camp 5, Ulhasnangar. ``She just keeps looking up at the portraits of the Gods and weeping, even when I tell her all's well,'' said Koli. That her three sons have had to quit school because the family could not afford to pay their fees must be the reason Koli can't reassure her. ``We try to get readymade clothes to button, but that is not a regular source of income, and on lean days we have even had to go hungry,'' says Koli.

At Paringhe's home, things are so bad that he has to live off his in-laws. What makes it worse is that he has an ailing 70-year-old mother to support, along with his wife and three sons. ``Except for my youngestson Rahul (8) who cannot earn, my sons and I have taken to doing whatever odd jobs possible to supplement what my wife gets as a domestic help,'' he says. He recounts how he had beaten up Rahul for hankering him for new clothes on his birthday last month, and adds: ``He doesn't understand what is going on and still tells everyone his father is a policeman.''

It is evident from the findings of the departmental enquiry that the commission based its verdict on the statement of the deceased Rinku's sister Ranjana and other students and invigilators. ``However, none of them were eyewitnesses to the struggle we put up, since they were all in the exam halls,'' says Koli, who relates how he broke free and risked being shot as he ran out to telephone the Central police station to inform his superiors of the development.

While the prime accused Haresh Patel committed suicide by jumping in front of a running train at Thakurli, the four other co-accused could be given a life sentence by the Thane Sessions Court onthe basis of the constables' statements. However, not only did the Additional Sessions judge B D Kadam not pass any orders for action against Koli and Paringhe, he had, in fact, a kind word for them. ``It is not expected that policemen are exceptional souls to show bravery at the stake of their lives. Though they were policemen, life is precious to them like it is to any ordinary man,'' the judge had said.

The Patils, meanwhile, expressed sympathy for the constables and their families. Pramila Patil, Rinku's mother told Express Newsline: ``Rinku's death will remain a loss forever. But she is dead, and it is painful that youths are still being subjected to such suffering. From our side, we can only say we don't intend ill for anyone.''

While DGP Arvind Inamdar said the matter is under jurisdiction of the concerned police commissioner, Thane police chief Bhujangrao Mohite said: ``While it is unfortunate that the constables are facing such a hard time, there is little one can do after a commission ofinquiry has decided they are to be dismissed.''

Some senior policemen have advised the two constables to approach the courts, but there's a hitch. ``Where is the money to fight a case, and who knows how protracted it will be, or whether we will win?'' asks Koli.