Women Allege Police Harassment in Pune Missing Person’s Probe

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Three women in Pune have alleged harassment by police personnel from both the local Kothrud station and a visiting team from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar during a missing person’s investigation. The incident, which has drawn widespread criticism and demands for action from political figures, reportedly took place last Friday.

The police teams were in Pune to locate a 23-year-old woman from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar who had left her home following alleged harassment by her husband and in laws. The woman had been staying with the three complainants at their hostel in Kothrud before moving to another facility in Mundhwa. The police, with the help of the Kothrud station, went to the Kothrud hostel to question the three women about her whereabouts.

According to the women, the police teams allegedly barged into their shared accommodation without a search warrant and conducted an aggressive search. They claim that when the police did not find the missing woman, they were taken to the Kothrud police station, where they were allegedly verbally abused with caste-based slurs and physically harassed. The women say their belongings were scattered and they were held for several hours before being released. Following the incident, the women approached the police station to file a complaint against the officers involved.

However, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar has denied the allegations. In a statement, the commissioner said that a preliminary investigation has found no substantiation for the claims of harassment. He stated that the police officers and constables did not mishandle the case and that the missing person’s complaint was being investigated with the seriousness it deserved. The Kothrud police have also stated that they were only assisting the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar police and that the women were questioned in the women’s assistance cell and not harassed.

The incident has garnered attention from politicians, including Baramati MP Supriya Sule, who has demanded a detailed investigation and stringent action against the guilty. The dispute highlights the ongoing tensions between public safety and the need for accountability within the police force.