DCP Sharmistha Gharge-Walawalkar honoured with union home minister’s medal for cracking sexual abuse case of 22 girls

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Deputy Commissioner of Police Sharmistha Gharge-Walawalkar has been awarded the union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation for her outstanding work in exposing a major sexual abuse case involving 22 girls from a reputed educational institution.

Acting on an anonymous letter, Walawalkar led a careful and sensitive probe that uncovered shocking crimes and ensured that the main accused, Arvind Pawar, received four life sentences. In 2023, the Lokmat Group had also recognised her remarkable service by honouring her with the Powerful Woman Award. The union Home Ministry announced the national award winners on Friday evening, celebrating police officers for their honesty, dedication, and exemplary service. Among the five officers selected from Maharashtra, DCP Walawalkar who recently assumed charge in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Police Commissionerate was among the honourees. A postgraduate in Physics and Law, Walawalkar cleared the MPSC exam in 2006 and joined the police force in 2010.

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Impressive career across four districts

Period

Posting / Role

2010–2012

Trainee Officer & Deputy Superintendent, District Police

2012–2014

Deputy Superintendent, Tuljapur

2014–2018

ACP (Crime Branch), Solapur City

2019–2021

Additional SP, Nashik District

2021–2022

Deputy Commissioner, State Intelligence Department

2022–2025

Superintendent, ACB Nashik Division

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Led 395 anti-corruption traps

As Superintendent of the Nashik ACB, Walawalkar spearheaded 395 anti-corruption operations, arresting over 100 Class-I officers. In one high-profile operation, she caught a senior PWD engineer red-handed while accepting a Rs 1-crore bribe.

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Justice for 22 innocent girls

While posted as Deputy SP in Sangli, Walawalkar received an anonymous letter alleging sexual abuse at a residential ashram school. Working with police sub inspector Pallavi Chavan, she collected 20 witness statements and 60 key pieces of evidence that proved the institution’s president, Arvind Pawar, had sexually assaulted 22 girls and raped four of them. Her airtight investigation led to Pawar being convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment four times, marking one of the state’s most significant victories in a sensitive case of child protection.