Pune: A major controversy has erupted in Pune after three young women from Dalit and OBC communities accused police personnel of casteist abuse, physical harassment, and procedural violations during a missing-person investigation. Despite repeated pleas, no FIR was registered under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, prompting an overnight protest at the Pune Police Commissionerate by Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) leaders and activists, joined by NCP–Sharad Pawar faction MLA Rohit Pawar.
According to the victims, one of whom was brought from her workplace without a search warrant, a female police officer subjected them to caste-based slurs while questioning them. They further alleged that a retired police officer and individuals not belonging to the police force accompanied officers to their Kothrud residence during the inquiry, raising concerns about procedural violations and undue influence.
VBA national president Adv. Prakash Ambedkar accused the Pune Police of defying the law and the Supreme Court’s directives. “For 15 hours, the victimised young woman has been fighting at the Commissioner’s office to register an FIR, yet the police are unwilling. Why are they protecting the accused? Why are they running away from activists’ questions? This is a complete failure of the Pune Police. Until cases are filed against the concerned officers, VBA will not leave the commissionerate,” Ambedkar declared.
In a detailed social media post, MLA Rohit Pawar raised seven pointed questions, including: Why was no FIR filed despite public outrage?, Was there political pressure or interference from a retired police officer?, Did Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar police follow legal protocol before involving Kothrud police?, Why were non-police individuals present during the women’s questioning?, Who issued threats to the victims?
Pawar alleged that the handling of the case “clearly shows political pressure on the police” and has created deep public distrust in the force.
The Pune Police have denied the allegations, stating that the purported casteist remarks were made in a private setting and lacked evidence to invoke the Atrocities Act. They claim the case does not meet the legal criteria for registering such an FIR.
However, the refusal has only intensified the protests, with activists insisting that the matter reflects a deeper problem of political influence over law enforcement and a disregard for the rights of marginalised communities.
