2007 death in custody: FIR against 5 cops

The state CID that took over the investigation around three years back has booked assistant police inspector Vijay Ganpat Bhosale,police naik Randhir Namdeo Jagtap,constables Prahlad Shankar Satpute,Vinayak Nanaso Mohite and Vitthal Dagdu Punde under Section 306,330 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

Bhosale has retired,while constable Punde died two years ago. The other three policemen are currently attached to Shirur and Shikrapur police stations in Pune rural. Deputy Superintendent of Police Narendra Kisanrao Gaikwad of the CID has lodged the complaint in the case.

S P S Yadav,state CID chief,told The Indian Express that investigations have revealed that when Kale was in the custody of Shirur police she was beaten up by the policemen which forced her to commit suicide. “Medical evidence and statements of witnesses confirmed that Kale committed suicide due to police harassment. Hence we have lodged the complaint of abetting suicide against the five policemen,” Yadav said.

It may be recalled that several dacoities took place in Shirur in December,2006. During investigations,the Pune rural police arrested Kale suspecting her role in the dacoities. On January 8,Rohini Kale,who was also in the custody of Shirur police station,informed the police that Aruna Kale had committed suicide by hanging.

Family members of the victim,along with organisations representing the Pardhi community,Manavi Hakka Abhiyan,a human rights body,said the police had implicated Kale in the dacoity cases and demanded an inquiry.

Vishwas Nangare Patil,the then Superintendent of Pune rural police,had suspended seven policemen in this case. None of the three serving policemen or the retired cop was arrested till reports last came in. Sources from the CID said teams have been dispatched for arresting the booked policemen.