A dispute between two girls at a tuition class escalated into violence when the brother of a police inspector allegedly led a brutal assault on a girl's family in Satara on July 22. The main accused, Sandeep Lanke, along with his wife and two accomplices, reportedly stormed the victim’s residence in Nageshwarwadi around 9:30 pm, armed with iron rods and wooden sticks.
The complainant, a 45-year-old gaming zone operator, said the trouble began when his daughter, Kritika (name changed), and Lanke's daughter got into an argument during their tuition class. According to the complaint, Lanke and his associates brutally beat the girl's father and assaulted her mother, dragging her by the hair, hurling casteist slurs, and forcing her to rub her nose on the feet of Lanke's wife.
Lanke allegedly invoked his police inspector’s brother’s name to intimidate the victims and had earlier issued threats after his daughter was asked to apologize following the quarrel. All four accused are currently absconding. They have been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including charges of grievous assault, robbery, and outraging the modesty of a woman, along with relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Assistant Commissioner of Police Dr. Ranit Patil is leading the investigation.