Pune court orders FIR against cops accused of harassing women at Kothrud police station

Allowing the application, the court directed Kothrud police station to register an FIR and conduct its investigation through an officer of the rank of assistant commissioner of police.

Additional sessions judge S K Bhalerao passed an order in this regard on November 11.

Months after officers and staff from Pune’s Kothrud police station were accused of physically assaulting and using casteist slurs against three women during a search for a woman reported missing by her in-laws from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, a Pune court has directed that an offence be registered against the cops.

Additional sessions judge S K Bhalerao passed an order in this regard on November 11. The complaint in this case was filed by a 28-year-old woman, a social worker by profession. She sought directions from the court to register a first information report (FIR) against an assistant police inspector, a woman police constable, a police havaldar and another police personnel from Satara police station in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, a woman assistant police inspector and a lady police constable at Kothrud police station, a retired police officer and a private person. She sought for the FIR to be filed under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and SC & ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.

Allowing the application, the court directed Kothrud police station to register an FIR and conduct its investigation through an officer of the rank of assistant commissioner of police.

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The case is linked to a 23-year-old woman who left her home in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and came to Pune following alleged harassment by her husband and in-laws in July this year. Her family had lodged a missing report at a police station in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. But the woman filed a complaint against her husband and in-laws at the government supported Sakhi Van Stop Center in Mundhwa in Pune.

Meanwhile, the woman stayed with the complainant social worker in Kothrud. Then, on August 1, 2025, the woman left the Kothrud place to shift into a paying guest accommodation.

But, a Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar police team probing the missing report reached Pune in search of the woman. They sought help from the Kothrud police station to trace the woman.

Around 2.30 pm on August 1, the Damini Squad (comprising only women cops) of Kothrud police station, questioned three women (including the complainant) residing at Kothrud, as the missing lady had stayed with them for some time. The three women were also brought to the Kothrud police station for inquiry.

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The women alleged that the accused police personnel in civilian dress allegedly trespassed into their house, harassed and threatened them. The woman alleged they were beaten up at the police station and that the cops made abusive and casteist remarks against them. The issue was raised on social media by activists and politicians. The women demanded action against police officials under the SC & ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.

NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar held a meeting with senior Pune city police officials demanding action against the cops who allegedly harassed the women. Dalit leaders Prakash Ambedkar, Sujat Ambedkar and others from Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi also levelled allegations against the police for making casteist comments against the women.

Replying to a complaint submitted by a woman on August 2, the Pune city police gave in writing that a prima-facie inquiry found no substance in the complaint and so no offence can be registered against the cops in this case.

On August 5, an FIR was lodged at Bundgarden police station against eight activists for allegedly causing a ruckus on the premises of the Pune City Police Commissionerate, on the intervening night of August 3 and August 4, while demanding action against the cops at Kothrud police station. As per this FIR, the activists allegedly entered the Police Commissionerate forcefully. Joint Commissioner of Police Ranjan Kumar Sharma held a discussion with them and gave them an official letter regarding an inquiry in this matter, but an activist allegedly tore the letter apart. Activists also allegedly made provocative statements at the spot, the FIR stated.