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Molestation case: Hostel firm’s notice alleges police extortion
On Sunday, details of the legal notice revealed that the Hinjewadi police are now being accused of extorting employees of the firm in the same case.
The Hinjewadi police, under the Pimpri-Chinchwad police commissionerate have been served a legal notice, alleging an extortion attempt in a case involving the sexual harassment of a female employee of an IT company in the area.
The legal notice has been issued by the IT firm where the victim is an employee and PCMC police commissioner R K Padmanabhan has ordered an immediate inquiry. The police commissioner has already suspended Balbhim Nanaware assistant police inspector (API) , with a preliminary police probe investigating allegations that Nanaware did not file the FIR in the sexual harassment case and made the victim wait for four hours.
On Sunday, details of the legal notice revealed that the Hinjewadi police are now being accused of extorting employees of the firm in the same case.
The legal notice also seeks compensation of Rs 1.50 crore from the Hinjewadi police for tarnishing the company’s reputation on grounds that “police officials attached with Hinjewadi police station did not bother to register a molestation case and instead detained three of their (firm’s) Pune hostel employees and physically assaulted them like criminals”.
The said IT firm runs hostels where female employees are put up. The alleged sexual harassment took place at the hostel where the victim was staying.
Besides, the notice also states that, “an amount of Rs 25,000 was extorted from a company official to secure their (hostel employees) release”.
The notice, issued by lawyers Balasaheb Khopade and Vijayalaxmi Khopade, states that API Balbhim Nanaware detained three hostel staffers after the IT employee had gone to the police to register a case of sexual harassment and molestation that occurred at the hostel by an unidentified man who is not a hostel employee.
The legal notice claims that the police then visited the hostel and picked up three employees. “The police made the three deposit all their belongings and took them to the lock-up, assaulting them along the way and there after. API Nanaware was continuously abusing them and slapping them,” the notice states.
When the city head of the company went to the police station at around 6 pm (Sept 9) to enquire about the matter, API Nanaware allegedly took him to a secluded space within the police station and demanded a bribe of Rs one lakh to release the staffers.
The company city head then paid Rs 25,000. API Nanaware is accused of demanding Rs 10,000 per month to be paid him.
