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Eight booked for storming police commissionerate in ‘missing’ woman’s case
The incident occurred between August 3 and 4, and an FIR was subsequently lodged by police sub-inspector Reshma Sambhaji More at Bund Garden police station.
Pune: Eight people, including two advocates, have been booked by Pune police for allegedly forcing their way into the police commissionerate and disturbing public order during a protest linked to a “missing” woman’s case from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, a senior officer said on Monday.
The incident occurred between August 3 and 4, and an FIR was subsequently lodged by police sub-inspector Reshma Sambhaji More at Bund Garden police station.
The accused named in the FIR are Sagar Alhat, Swapnil Waghmare, Datta Shendage, Advocate Parikrama Khot, Shweta Patil, Nitin Patil, Rishikesh Bholane, and Advocate Rekha Choure.
According to the complaint, a group of 15–20 protesters entered the commissionerate premises without permission, demanding action in the case.
The protestors also sought registration of a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Their demand followed allegations by three women—social workers based in Pune—that police teams from Kothrud and Sambhajinagar illegally entered their residence, detained them, used casteist slurs, and physically assaulted them. The women claimed they were targeted for helping their friend, the “missing” woman.
Police later traced the missing woman, a 23-year-old from Sambhajinagar who had fled after alleged harassment by her husband and in-laws, to another hostel in Mundhwa. She had initially been staying with the three social workers in Kothrud.
Sambhajinagar police had sought assistance from their Pune counterparts to question her friends as part of the inquiry.
DCP (zone II) Milind Mohite confirmed the registration of the case. “The FIR was lodged on August 5 against the accused for disturbing public order under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further probe is underway,” he said.
The FIR cites violations under Sections 37(1) and 37(3) of the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951, and Sections 189(2), 190, 221, 223, and 324(3) of the BNS.
