Maharashtra Women’s Groups Condemn Police Brutality, Caste Discrimination in Pune

Quick Summary

• Maharashtra Stree Mukti Parishad has sought urgent action against Pune’s Kothrud police for allegedly assaulting, harassing, adn issuing casteist slurs toward three Dalit women on August 1, 2025.
• Teh allegations include physical abuse, illegal detention for over six hours, unwarranted searches of belongings, and inappropriate conduct during a missing person inquiry involving a woman facing harassment from her in-laws.
• Activists claim the interrogation was conducted without CCTV coverage in the presence of a retired police officer (the woman’s father-in-law) and her in-laws. Attempts by the survivors to file charges under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act were reportedly refused by police.
• The victims have since faced eviction from their rented home and are currently supported by activists while dealing with trauma related to police misconduct. Calls for legal action have been made by various political bodies including Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction).
• A delegation representing Maharashtra Stree Mukti Parishad has submitted complaints to several state authorities demanding immediate legal action against officers under specific laws like IPC & Atrocities Act,protection for survivors of domestic violence; an unconditional apology was also requested but not yet acted upon.

Indian Opinion Analysis
This case highlights critical concerns around accountability within law enforcement systems in India-especially when intersecting with caste dynamics. Allegations such as unauthorized detentions or discriminatory behaviour severely undermine public trust in policing institutions tasked with protecting vulnerable populations. The reported refusal to file FIRs under SC/ST protective statutes further raises questions about how effectively India’s legal mechanisms address caste-based injustices.

The involvement of a retired officer potentially influencing actions adds layers to systemic misuse-reinforcing calls for stringent oversight over both procedural fairness and adherence to constitutional safeguards. While activist groups have spotlighted such lapses effectively through organized advocacy, enduring remedies will likely demand institutional reforms improving both accountability mechanisms within policing agencies as well restorative socio-economic environments enabling dignity/justice guarantees marginalized identities previously dis-serviced/butr increasingly caught contexts aforementioned

Read more here.