Mumbai cop makes casteist remark on family of ‘rape victim’, booked

After the complainant’s sister died on Wednesday, the state women’s commission met police commissioner Sanjay Barve on Saturday and demanded that a complaint be lodged against the officers responsible for threatening the alleged victim’s family.

A Chembur police officer (PI) has been booked by the Chunabhatti police for abusing the brother of a 19-year-old alleged gang-rape victim from Jalgaon.

A Chembur police officer (PI) has been booked by the Chunabhatti police for abusing the brother of a 19-year-old alleged gang-rape victim from Jalgaon. (Representative Image)

The Chunabhatti police registered a case against PI Deepak Surve under section 504 (intentionally insulting) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

The 36 -year-old complainant resides in Chembur with his family. His parents stay in Jalgaon and his 19-year-old sister used to reside with them and visit Mumbai often.

“On July 12, while in Mumbai, she suffered a paralytic stroke and was taken back home by her father. She was receiving Ayurvedic treatment, but with no progress. She was then shifted to a hospital in Aurangabad on July 25. The doctors carried out a medical examination and informed my parents that she had suffered injuries to her private parts and it was a police case. The Aurangabad police had registered a gang-rape case and as the incident took place in the jurisdiction of the Chunabhatti police, the case was transferred here,” the complainant said in his statement to the police.

He said the case was registered on August 2, and on August 6 around 2pm, he visited the Chunabhatti police station.

“I met inspector Surve… When I asked him about the case he got angry and asked who told me it was a rape,” he added. Surve later made casteist remarks, alleging that people from the alleged victim’s caste are experts in registering such fraud cases.

Surve, who was handling the additional charge of Chunabhatti police station, has been posted at Nehru Nagar police station in Kurla. “I went to the police station and gave evidence about some suspects involved in the case of my sister, but the cops threatened to register a case against my parents,” the alleged victim’s brother said.

After the complainant’s sister died on Wednesday, the state women’s commission met police commissioner Sanjay Barve on Saturday and demanded that a complaint be lodged against the officers responsible for threatening the alleged victim’s family.

A medical source from the Aurangabad-based hospital where the alleged victim’s primary autopsy was conducted, alleges the woman died due to an infection from an illness. “However, the report of sexual assault is incomplete,” the source said.