Pune: Nine including police sub-inspector, five other cops booked for third degree torture of woman

Pune: Nine people, including a police sub-inspector, five other police personnel, have been booked for practicing a third-degree method on a woman called for interrogation.

The woman was ruthlessly beaten up and was seriously injured. The incident took place at around 8 pm on March 23, 2023 at the Samarth Police Station.

The 25-year-old victim lodged a complaint on Thursday (June 13). Rank PSI Arjun Sadashiv Divekar (50), police personnel Nilam Sachin Karpe, Maya Tukaram Gadekar, Yogita Bhaudas Afale, unidentified one each male and female cops, Akshay Jivan Awate (31), a resident of Somwar Peth, Aditya Gautam (30), a resident of Kasba Peth, and Sujit Pujari, a resident of Ambegaon Budruk, have been booked under sections 354, 354(b), 323, 504, 506, 34 of the IPC.

According to the police, accused Akshay Awate is the victim’s husband. She lodged a complaint against two friends of her husband at the Hadapsar Police Station. Hence, her husband and friends verbally abused her and threatened her. A woman cop then called her for interrogation at the Samarth Police Station. PI Ramesh Sahebrao Sathe told them to ‘take her inside’.

Women cops Gadekar, Afale and two other policemen took her to a room. Without listening to her, they hit her with a belt and showered blows and injured her. One of them told her that Awate, Gautam and Pujari were followers of a politician and would kill her. Pujari threatened to kill her if she lodged a complaint about it. Awate passed lewd comments and made obscene gestures at her and molested her.

API Dadasaheb Patil is investigating further.