Pune, 11th September 2026: The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) has recommended registering a First Information Report against senior Pune police officials over serious allegations of custodial torture, illegal detention and the public humiliation of minors.
The Commission's full bench, comprising Chairman Justice A M Badar and members Sanjay Kumar and Swapna Joshi, directed Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) to treat its fact-finding inquiry report as an FIR.
The Commission also said the investigation should be handed over to an officer of the rank of Additional Director General of Police or above, as the allegations also involve Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, who holds the rank of Additional Director General of Police.
According to the inquiry report, three minors detained in a murder case were allegedly tied to the bonnet of a police vehicle on July 21 using ropes attached to the vehicle's side mirrors.
The children, classified as 'Children in Conflict with Law', were allegedly taken from the Ambegaon Pathar outpost to the Bharti Vidyapeeth police station while being publicly paraded.
The report said senior police inspector Mansingh Patil announced through a loudspeaker that the three were murder suspects. The public parade reportedly exposed the minors to relatives of the deceased, some of whom attempted to assault them.
The inquiry committee also found allegations of serious custodial violence. The minors were reportedly beaten with fibre batons and bamboo sticks. The report further stated that they were kept in police lockups beyond the legally permitted period between July 20 and July 24 before being produced before the Juvenile Justice Board.
The inquiry also examined a separate case involving the alleged custodial beating and public shaming of four adult accused.
The MSHRC observed that Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar was aware of videos of the incident after they went viral. However, the Commission said the action taken was limited to transferring the officers involved and issuing a show-cause notice related to withholding their increment.
The Commission held that Kumar, DCP Milind Mohite and ACP Rahul Aware had failed to adequately protect the victims' human rights and had not taken effective action against the alleged offenders. It also criticised what it described as a 'one-sided' inquiry.
The MSHRC invoked Section 18(c) of the Protection of Human Rights Act and referred to the Supreme Court's judgment in Lalita Kumari v. Government of Uttar Pradesh, which requires registration of an FIR when information reveals a cognisable offence.
The Commission said police officers cannot use their authority to subject children to such treatment. It observed that such conduct does not uphold the rule of law but instead undermines it.
The inquiry found apparent violations of provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The preliminary fact-finding inquiry was conducted by a three-member committee comprising Special Inspector General of Police Dattatraya Karale, Superintendent of Police Vishwas Pandhare and MSHRC Registrar Vijay Kedar.