By Danish Reyaz,

Mumbai: She had no idea when she enrolled as a trainee police constable that she will be assaulted and harassed by those training officers who are supposed to fight against evil of the society. She was on cloud nine when she heard the news of her final selection and that she will be trained at Kolhapur Police Training Academy. But life changed all of a sudden when she reached the academy for the training.

The duration of the training was nine months, but she was praying to God for the early rather earliest accomplishment. She was afraid to share it with anyone but she could not hide the medical reports. The day when the pregnancy report positively confirmed that she is becoming a mother, she gathered some courage in her and lodged a complaint against Yuvraj Kamble at the Shahpuri police station. This is the story of Kumari (name changed), an unmarried trainee of the Kolhapur Police Training Academy.

Yuvraj Kamble

Women recruits ‘raped’ at training camp

The incident happened when Yuvraj Kamble, trainer of new recruits, had allegedly invited one of the women constables to his house and promised to give her the question paper of the exam to be held the next morning. When she went to his house, he allegedly raped her. The scandal came to light when a routine medical test of 71 trainees revealed that two women are pregnant out of which one was unmarried.

Kumari is not the only victim of insanity at the police training ground. A married woman constable got pregnant but according to sources she aborted the child. In fact, there are 11 female trainee constables who have tested positive in the routine pregnancy test. And now the question arises: Apart from arresting Kamble, what else action has been taken? Why only one officer got transferred and two received suspension? Member of Parliament from Kolhapur constituency Sadashiv Rao Mandlik came down heavily on the DSP Yashasvi Yadav and alleged that, “Sexual exploitation of these women trainees is going on unabatedly for the past three years and it could well be a part of an organized crime syndicate. District superintendent of police Yashasvi Yadav is the key member of this syndicate and is involved in various illegal activities like extortion, Hafta wasooli and women trafficking.” Is Sadashiv Rao Mandlik’s allegation true?

The MP also claimed that Yashasvi Yadav has 10 to 12 members in his team who are managing these criminal activities. “When the lady police training school had begun, 71 women constables had enrolled. He had selected beautiful constables and sexually exploited them” he further alleged. He also demanded CBI probe in this case.

Junior Dalit officer made scapegoat?

Defending the arrest of training instructor Yuvraj Maruti Kamble, Mandlik said “Kamble is a scapegoat; many high-profile people may be involved in it.” Mandlik raised doubt about the CID probe or inquiry by the Additional superintendent of police of Nasik. He said, “Maithili Jha is junior and she has very little power to tackle this case.” Maharashtra Home Minister Mr R.R. Patil, who is known as a godfather of Police, seems to be sick. After the Kolhapur police academy’s shameful incident he promised that “We are serious and no one will be spared. The probe will be completed within next two to three days.” But after a week nothing much has been done. Mr Patil was very rude when opposition leader Eknath Khadse demanded his resignation.

Ironically it’s the same Maharashtra government that has reserved 50 percent seats for women in the local self governments to empower them. But those who are fighting against evils of the society are feeling personally unsafe in the state. The case of sexual exploitation of 11 female constables undergoing training at Kolhapur Police Training School depicts the real state of women in Maharashtra.

SP Office, Kolhapur

Denying all the allegations Amruta Kamble, wife of arrested officer Yuvraj Kamble blamed it all on the senior officers. She alleged, “Senior officers are involved and my husband is entrapped because he is a dalit.”

Babant Kaka Sawant, President Bahujan Dalit Mahasangh also shared this allegation. He said, “We, Dalits, spend our life to educate the children and get them government jobs but upper cast officers discriminate against us.” Kamble is a dalit junior officer so he was entrapped, he further added. Sawant also informed that Kamble was suffering from Jaundice and was on leave for last 3 months and has joined duty a month earlier to this incidence. He demanded “the suspended officers must be punished and women should train women.”

Govt woke up only after political parties protest

The state Government came into action when the political parties like BJP, Shiv Sena, Dalit Maha Sangh, Bharatiya Republican Party and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena started demonstration.

Additional superintendent of police of Nasik and investigating officer of this case, Maithili Jha said “I am in a primary stage of investigation and only one lady constable had complained but I am trying to meet personally to all of them.”

Jha also complained that some police officers are not cooperating as well. When asked if it means our police system hass failed, she replied “it’s an isolated case and we cannot blame the whole system.”

But in December, 2010, the 1983 batch officer of Maharashtra Police, Arun Borude, was dismissed after his name cropped up in rape case of a 15-year-old girl. The officer committed suicide when her mother complained about it after the girl got pregnant.

It is clear that morale of the Maharashtra police department has gone down and calls for dynamic change. Maharashtra police website states that “Every policeman is duty bound to ensure that women are treated with due respect. There is no exception to this rule.”

Maithili Jha

Need to make change in CRPC 197

Frequent incidents like this are raising questions on CRPC 197, which makes actions against police officers very difficult. Also the fear of police harassment makes one to remain silent on such incidents and this is visible in this incident where the Police officers threatened trainees that they will not be selected if they complained.

Majid Memon, senior advocate, Bombay High Court said,” when police commits crime the situation is grave and calls for greater pondering.” He also accepted that it’s common that people are scared of Police and don’t complaint against it.

He also demanded amendments in CRPC 197 to facilitate actions against guilty officers.

Renowned social activist, Teesta Setalvad, said, “It’s a failure of our system that male police officers could not provide security to their female counterparts.” She also demanded that not only the policies but real actions must be taken to prevent such incidents.” She said guilty officers must be punished so severely to make a precedent for others.

In a developing nation like India, where the woman is emerging as a powerful and respected part of nation’s structure, incidents like this are a shame for the government and administration. If it still does not ring the bell, tomorrow we may hardly find a lady police officer!

(Danish Reyaz is a Mumbai based Journalist and associated with The Sunday Indian News Magazine)