Pune, 5th August 2025: A serious case of alleged custodial abuse has emerged from Pune's Kothrud Police Station, where three young women claim they were assaulted by police officers. According to the victims, they were kicked, punched, and subjected to casteist slurs while in police custody. They also allege mental harassment during their detention. The incident has triggered public outrage across Maharashtra.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Sambhaji Kadam gave a statement to a news channel regarding the matter. He explained that a missing woman case had been registered on July 19 in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Following technical location data, a crime branch team from Sambhajinagar came to Pune for investigation and sought help from Kothrud Police.
Two female officers from the Damini squad were assigned to assist the visiting team. Around 4:15 pm, the three young women were brought in for questioning at the Women’s Assistance Cell and Hirkani Cell inside Kothrud Police Station. However, technical data later showed that the missing woman was found near the One Stop Centre in Mundhwa.
The next day, on August 2, the three women accused police of physical assault and using casteist slurs. Despite the seriousness of the allegations, the police refused to file a formal complaint under the Atrocities Act, citing lack of prima facie evidence.
DCP Kadam clarified that Assistant Police Inspector Prema Patil was not part of the inquiry team, nor was she from the Damini unit. He added that an internal administrative inquiry is ongoing to verify the presence and actions of officers involved.
Questions have also been raised about the availability of CCTV footage in the inquiry rooms and whether PSI Prema Patil was present at the time. The lack of video evidence from such an important area inside a police station has become a major point of concern.
Another key issue raised is why the young women were held for an extended period despite the missing woman being found elsewhere. There are also concerns over the search of their rooms, which officials have yet to justify.
As the police have refused to file the FIR, the victims have now decided to approach the district sessions court. Advocate Prakash Ambedkar and a team of legal experts are assisting in filing the case under the Atrocities Act. The case has gained state-wide attention, with growing pressure on Pune Police to provide answers and take accountability.
