Pune, 4th August 2025: Three Dalit girls in Pune have alleged that they were subjected to casteist slurs and humiliating treatment by a female police officer during questioning. The incident has sparked outrage, with political leaders and activists accusing Pune police of insensitivity and deliberate inaction.
The girl at the centre of the issue had reportedly fled from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar after facing injustice there and sought temporary shelter in Pune. She stayed with three other girls for some time. However, police soon summoned all of them for questioning.
During the inquiry, the female police officer allegedly used casteist language and treated them disrespectfully. The girls claim this amounted to both mental and emotional harassment. Despite reporting the incident to authorities, no FIR has been filed.
MLA Rohit Pawar criticized the police, saying that if law enforcers themselves indulge in such caste-based behaviour, it raises serious questions about the kind of society we live in. He demanded immediate action against the concerned officers and said the girls were forced to run between police stations, but their complaints weren’t even registered.
The matter intensified further when Dalit leaders Sujat Ambedkar and Anjali Ambedkar, along with Rohit Pawar and several activists, staged a protest at the Pune Police Commissionerate on Sunday night. The group remained outside the office till 3:30 AM, urging the police to file a case.
However, instead of an FIR, the police issued a short four-line written response saying that the alleged incident took place in a private room, not a public space, and that there was no concrete evidence to support the atrocity charges. The note also claimed the complaint lacked substantial grounds to justify a case under the SC/ST Atrocities Act.
This explanation angered the girls and activists, who tore up the letter in frustration. The police’s refusal to file a case despite sustained pressure has led to speculation about political or institutional pressure being applied to block the FIR.
As tensions rise and public attention grows, all eyes are now on how the Pune police and local authorities will respond to the growing demands for accountability and justice.
