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15 cops transferred after FIRs over alleged parading of minors
Police commissioner transferred 15 cops attached to Bharati Vidyapeeth police station following two CID FIRs over allegations of custodial assault, illegal detention and public humiliation of minors
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PUNE: Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar has transferred 15 personnel attached to the Bharati Vidyapeeth police station following registration of two FIRs by the criminal investigation department (CID) over allegations of custodial assault, illegal detention and public humiliation of minors, officials said on Monday.
Kumar in his order dated September 24 stated, “The concerned policemen are hereby transferred under section 22 of the Maharashtra Police Rules, 1951, on administrative grounds. They shall be relieved from their present duties with immediate effect and report to their respective transferred departments. A compliance report shall be submitted to this office accordingly.”
Of the 15 personnel, four police officers have been transferred to the special branch while the remaining 11 personnel have been shifted to the police headquarters. The four officers transferred to the special branch are assistant police inspector (API) Snehal Sambhaji Thorat; and police sub-inspectors (PSIs) Nilesh Rajendra Mokashi, Anna Madhukar Darade and Saddam Hussain Dastgir Fakir. The 11 personnel transferred to the police headquarters are Sunil Dada Hanwate, Dinesh Vinayak Tapkir, Mitesh Dattatray Chormale, Sagar Chandrakant Borge, Soham Kailas Shendkar, Mangesh Jaysing Pawar, Rahul Ashok Aundhkar, Ravindra Shankar Gaikwad, Sandeep Laxman Agale, Tukaram Pandit Sutar and Suvarna Dattatray Bhise.
The transfers come as the CID investigates allegations that three minors were tied with rope to the bonnet of a police vehicle only to be paraded in public on July 21. The action follows two FIRs registered by the CID against 18 police personnel, with six named in both cases. The FIRs concern allegations involving four adults and eight children in conflict with the law at Bharati Vidyapeeth police station. The matter came under scrutiny after the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) took suo moto cognisance of the allegations following the emergence of videos purportedly showing the incident. In its September 9 interim order, the MSHRC directed the state government to treat the fact-finding committee’s report and its annexures as the FIR, and ordered an expedited investigation. As the report also contained allegations concerning senior police officials, the commission directed that the investigation be conducted by an officer of the rank of additional director-general of police or above. The commission’s inquiry found that three minors had allegedly been tied to the bonnet of a police vehicle and paraded from the Ambegaon Pathar outpost towards Bharati Vidyapeeth police station. It said that the finding was supported by oral and electronic evidence.
The CID FIRs also contain allegations of custodial assault and illegal detention. According to the FIRs, some minors were allegedly assaulted with bamboo sticks and belts. Police records were also allegedly prepared to show that some of the minors had been handed over to their parents or guardians. The FIRs further allege caste-based abuse and public humiliation involving four minors belonging to scheduled caste communities. The cases invoke provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
An earlier internal police inquiry had been questioned by the MSHRC, which observed that the statements of the minors allegedly subjected to the treatment had not been recorded. It further noted that the minors were not produced before the Juvenile Justice Board within the prescribed period. The latest transfers are an administrative measure pending the outcome of the CID investigation.
