Two FIRs against 18 Pune cops over assault, public humiliation, parading of suspects

The first FIR relates to four accused in an assault case registered at Bharati Vidyapeeth police station in the first week of July. The FIR, citing the MSHRC’s findings, alleges that the four accused were assaulted at the police station and were later taken to the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) colony. The FIR states that they were allegedly made to kneel and walk on the road, beaten on their legs with sticks and lathis, made to sit on their knees and hold out their hands, apologise to local residents and were subjected to public humiliation. The FIR also records that there was no corresponding general diary entry or police vehicle log-book entry showing that the four had been taken to the SRA colony on July 7. The MSHRC inquiry also examined video footage and statements of police personnel regarding the incident.

The first FIR names 13 police personnel as accused including Senior Inspector Mansingh Patil, two police sub-inspectors Anna Darade and Nilesh Mokashi and 10 other police personnel from Bharti Vidyapeeth police station. The case has been registered under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including sections relating to causing hurt, wrongful restraint or confinement, assault or criminal force, intentional insult, criminal intimidation and public servants disobeying law and causing injury to some person.

The second FIR concerns eight children in conflict with law (CCLs) accused of murdering another minor in the jurisdiction of Bharti Vidyapeeth police station. The FIR records incidents between July 20 and July 24. According to the FIR, CCLs 1 to 4 were taken into custody at Ambegaon Pathar police chowki on July 20, while CCLs 5 to 7 were taken into custody on July 21 and CCL 8 around midnight on July 21-22. The FIR alleges that the children were kept in police custody for periods extending beyond the permissible period and were subsequently produced before the Juvenile Justice Board on July 25.

The FIR alleges that CCLs 1, 3 and 4 were made to sit on the bonnet of a police vehicle, tied with a rope and taken on a public road, while CCL 2 was allegedly made to sit inside the vehicle. The children were allegedly subjected to public humiliation and assault. The FIR records that CCLs 1, 3, 7 and 8 belong to a Scheduled Caste. The second FIR names 11 police personnel — senior police inspector Patil, two assistant police inspectors Ganesh Mohite and Snehal Thorat, three police head constables and five other police personnel. It invokes several provisions of the BNS as well as provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act along with provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act.

The registration of the two cases follows the MSHRC’s earlier suo motu proceedings after videos of the alleged treatment of suspects surfaced. The Commission had ordered a fact-finding inquiry and had clarified that its observations were prima facie and would not prejudice final adjudication. The two FIRs now place the allegations under separate criminal investigation. After taking suo motu cognisance of the alleged public parading murder suspects on the bonnet of a police vehicle by Pune Police, MSHRC had observed that they depict a “barbaric incident” that “will certainly bring shame to otherwise well governed and well ruled state of Maharashtra.”