Pune Custodial Abuse Row: Supriya Sule Demands Action Over Dalit Women’s Harassment by Police

Nationalist Congress Party–Sharad Chandra Pawar (NCP-SCP) MP Supriya Sule has strongly condemned the alleged custodial abuse of three Dalit women at Kothrud Police Station in Pune. The MP has urged Maharashtra Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis to take immediate and strict action in response to the incident, which she termed “extremely serious.” Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Sule stated that she had received a video regarding the incident via WhatsApp. “In Kothrud, Pune, a case has come to light where the police took three girls and harassed them using casteist and other objectionable words. If this is true, it is an extremely serious incident,” she wrote. She also demanded a thorough investigation. “The state's Home Minister should take serious note of this incident. A thorough investigation of this entire matter should be conducted, and strict action should be taken against the guilty,” she added.

पुण्यातील कोथरुड येथे पोलीसांनी तीन मुलींना नेऊन त्यांना जातीवाचक आणि इतर आक्षेपार्ह शब्द वापरुन त्यांचा छळ केल्याचा प्रकार उघडकीस आला. याबाबतची माहिती देणारा एक व्हिडिओ मला 'व्हॉट्सॲप'वर प्राप्त झाला आहे. जर हे खरे असेल तर ही अतिशय गंभीर स्वरुपाची घटना आहे. राज्याच्या…

— Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) August 2, 2025

Sule shared Facebook videos in which one of the women alleged that police officers had made demeaning remarks targeting members of the Mahar and Mang communities. The woman claimed the three friends were held for five hours in the Kothrud Police Station's remand room, where they were subjected to physical and mental abuse, caste slurs, and threats. One of the officers reportedly asked, “Are you lesbians?” based on the girls’ appearance, and another allegedly said, “We won’t give a character certificate to girls like you. We’ll ruin your careers.”

A disturbing case of alleged police misconduct has emerged from Pune’s Kothrud Police Station, where three young Dalit women claim they were physically assaulted and verbally abused using casteist slurs by officers inside the remand room, reported ABP Majha. The incident has sparked outrage after one of the women posted a detailed video on Facebook describing their ordeal. According to the report, a young woman from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, who was facing harassment from her in-laws, had gone to stay with her friends in Pune for a day. When her family couldn’t reach her, they filed a missing person complaint. Using mobile tracking, the police traced her location to a flat in Kothrud, where she was staying with the three women. Police visited the flat, questioned the girls, and took all three into custody for further interrogation. They were allegedly held for five hours at the Kothrud Police Station and subjected to both physical and mental abuse.

The women have named two officers in their allegations: Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) Prema Patil of Kothrud Police Station and PSI Kamte of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Police Station. As per the Facebook video posted by one of the women, Shweta S., both officers used caste-based slurs and derogatory language while questioning them. Shweta claims the officers insulted their character, commented on their clothing, and accused them of immoral behavior. She also alleged that PSI Kamte kicked and punched one of the girls and inappropriately touched her, reported ABP Majha.

Quoting the alleged verbal abuse, Shweta said PSI Prema Patil made casteist remarks such as, “You are Mahar-Mangs, so this is how you behave. Your caste is like this.” She also claimed that Kamte accused two of the girls of being lesbians based on their appearance and the scarves they were wearing. “You must be wh**es. Do you roam around drunk? You probably don’t have a father, or he must have abandoned you,” Kamte allegedly said, reported APB Majha.

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The three women, who work and reside in the Kothrud area, were not linked to any crime. The police, however, claim that they were only conducting routine questioning as part of the missing person investigation and have denied any assault or abuse.

Shweta concluded her video by demanding a public apology from the police department and stated that if the matter is not addressed, they will continue to pursue justice. She alleged that the girls were harassed under the guise of pressure from a "high-profile" missing person case and called for accountability from those involved.

As of now, no formal action against the accused officers has been confirmed.