‘Sexual abuse’ in police custody: He asked me to strip… said he would give me shocks

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The three told a court Baramati last Saturday that they were “stripped” and two of them later forced to have oral and anal sex with each other by two policemen in the custody of Baramati taluka police. The two policemen have now been identified as sub-inspector Sunil Gaikwad, around 30 years old, and a constable named Doiphode.

All the three boys hail from a village near Baramati town and come from poor families. Two of them have studied up to 11th and 12th classes respectively while the third discontinued studies after class 10th and wants to get admitted to junior college this academic season. This summer, all three took up jobs as helpers at a private company near Daund to earn money for further education. They still repent having a brawl with a driver whose truck brushed their bike when they were on their way home on May 11.

The second boy says, “After our brawl with the truck driver, he registered an offence of robbery against us and we were arrested by Daund police. Four days later, we were taken to custody of Baramati police. On our way, a policeman in our van kept telling us that we would also be arrested for the theft of a truck in Baramati. We told him none of us could drive a truck, so how could we steal a truck.”

On Friday night (May 15), the three were in the custody of Baramati Taluka police when Gaikwad and Doiphode brought the boys one by one to a separate room with a wooden door around 11 pm.

The first boy says, “Gaikwad first threatened to plug in the wire and give shock to my private parts but he did not. Then he said, now wait.”

The second boy who broke down while recounting the ordeal says, “The other cop pulled me hard holding my arm and took me from the custody room to the closed room where the other one was already sitting naked. He made me take off all my clothes. We both started crying. They then threatened to harm us and forced us to do anal and oral sex. During all this, they kept using very filthy language. A constable named Thorat entered the room and told them to stop doing this to us.”

The third boy says, “I too was dragged into the same room and was made to take off my clothes. They took out some chilli powder and threatened to throw it on my private parts, but Thorat again stopped them.” Ironically, Thorat has told additional superintendent Tanaji Chikhle, who is conducting an inquiry into the matter, that no such incident took place.

The next day, the three told the court about what had happened in the custody. The court ordered a medical test and also ordered that the three be taken to Yerawada jail. The court has also recorded in-camera statements of the three boys and the policemen involved.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Additional SP Chikhle said, “Our inquiry till now suggests that the incident, as alleged by the three suspects, had not taken place. I will be submitting my report soon.”

Advocate Sudhir Pataskar, who is representing the three boys, says, “There is no doubt the police will try to cover up the matter. But we are determined to fight till the end. Why did Baramati police not ask for further custody of the three, which they seem to be doing in all other cases? Because they want to cool off the matter now. The three boys are out on bail. We have also come to know of another incident where the same officer had rubbed metal wire brush in the anus of another suspect and had told the court that he had piles. These police officers with sick mindsets should be punished. We will be asking for narco-analysis of the police officers involved and also of these three boys to bring forth the truth.”

Gaikwad has now reportedly been sent on a mandatory leave, but Chikhle says he has just taken casual leave. Boys have also alleged that they were taken for medical test by the same officer who had abused them. According to them, they were taken to Sassoon Hospital by Sunil Gaikwad.

Advocate Pataskar said, “The boys told me that on way to hospital, he did not talk to them in the car but kept calling someone repeatedly. Even after reaching the hospital, medical examination was not conducted immediately. The boys were made to sleep in general ward in handcuffs and medical examination was conducted the next day. Based on what the boys have told me about the examination, it seems that the doctors have not taken any of the swabs properly. We are going to ask the court for the CCTV footage of the Sassoon hospital and call and location records of the cellphone of PSI Gaikwad to prove our point.”

Chikhle however denied the allegations. “No. The same officer did not go with them. If you want, you can check the register of Sassoon hospital as to who brought them for the medical examination.”

The Baramati court, which recorded the statements in-camera, is soon expected to submit a report to the district court in this matter.