Woman cop who alleged rape by ACPs was suspended for ‘insubordination’

Aurangabad police commissioner Sanjay Kumar justified the suspension stating that she approached the DGP with her complaint without following proper channels. “She went to the DG’s office directly without permission,” said Kumar. “She also came to the commissionerate in January and threw a slipper at one of the ACPs. She appeared before a political press conference in Pune. We suspended her in January following this insubordination.”

The DGP could not be reached for comment.

The constable consumed pesticide outside Vidhan Bhavan after she was refused audience by the office of state Home Minister R R Patil. She alleged that she was raped several times by two Assistant Commissioners of Police in Aurangabad in 2011 and molestated by a third ACP in 2012. She came to the city last week to meet Patil and to request him to reinstate her. She was discharged from Bombay Hospital on Monday.

The constable claimed that she was suspended for allegedly speaking out against senior police officials. She filed a case before a magistrate in Aurangabad in August last year. “The next hearing is on March 16. Since I am under suspension,I cannot work anywhere else,” she said.

On Monday evening,she was accompanied by her mother and cousin as she returned home to her six-year-old daughter. “My mother told her that I had an accident and was admitted to a hospital,” she said.

According to her complaint,ACP Sandeep Bhajibhakare,who who was in charge of the Begumpur police station,allegedly raped her in his chambers in September 2011. “On October 1,Bhajibhakare drove me to a dark road near Zalta Phata in Satara parisar and raped me in his car and threatened me. I sent a letter to the DGP but received no reply,” she said.

The victim further alleged that on November 29,2011,Bhajibhakare called her on her cell phone and asked her to meet him at Shahnoormiya mosque immediately. “He drove to a remote spot and attempted to rape me but just then a patrolling police car stopped near us. Bhajibhakare sped away but another ACP,Kisansingh Bahure,came to know about it,” she said.

Bhajibhakare allegedly asked Bahure to spare him but challan the victim if he wanted to. “The same night,Bahure called me to his chamber in Osmanpura police station and raped me. I screamed but no one helped me. Bahure then gave me a challan and threatened to kill me if I told anyone,” she said.

The victim then approached Maharashtra State Women’s Commission in August last year,which directed the police to conduct an inquiry,where she claims she was inappropriately touched by ACP Naresh Meghrajani.

Following the inquiry,Bhajibhakare has been transferred to Chiplun,Kumar said. “We have conducted an inquiry and submitted a report to the DG. A case has been registered a under Section 509 (outraging the modesty of a woman) of the IPC. There is no evidence against the others,” he said.