An assistant police inspector, placed at the Mankhurd police station was suspended from duty after he registered an FIR against two individuals who had allegedly assaulted two women customers on February 11.
API Datta Bhosle, age 46, was waiting for his promotion to police inspector when all of these obstructions took place. Bhosle was first previously posted to Nehru Nagar police station in Kurla, and later in 2021, he took charge as API at Mankhurd police station. According to Bhosle, he formally entered his 'seniors' bad books when he seized a tempo full of gutkha. Since the consumption, sale and manufacturing of gutkha is illegal, he seized the tempo and brought it to the police station.
When his ‘seniors’ were informed about the same, they allegedly insisted he let the tempo and the driver go. After some verbal dispute, the same happened.
Bhosle was taunted by his seniors that he would be transferred to the control room – which is a demotion in the police department. Eventually, he was transferred to the control room in 2023, and a year later, in Jan 2024, he was posted back to Mankhurd police station, and the tussle between him and his superiors continued.
It took a different shape on Feb 11, when two women came to the police station alleging that they were assaulted by two individuals in the Govandi area. As per police and legal protocols, if any woman or minor girl, if she approaches the police station, at any given time, police are bound to take the complaint or FIR, regardless of the jurisdiction where the crime took place. If the crime location goes beyond the police station's jurisdiction, police are supposed to take a Zero FIR, and then move the FIR to the concerned police station.
“I was doing what I was supposed to do as per the protocol. The two women approached us, and alleged assault, based on the allegations I registered the FIR on Feb 16. On the previous days, Feb 13, 14, and 15, the alleged accused were causing a ruckus at the police station, threatening me to refrain from taking the FIR. Despite the police's presence, those two men were trying to attack those women, and even abused us, which forced me to stop them physically – so they do not attack the victims physically,” said Bhosle.
A day after the FIR, Bhosle was told to remove the name of the accused from the FIR by his seniors, but he says he insisted on arresting them. But they were never arrested due to mounting pressure, says Bhosle, who later was told that he would be suspended from duty.
However, senior officials at Zone 6 – which covers Mankhurd police station, have a different say on the matter. According to an official, Bhosle allegedly had several irregularities in his duty, which is why he was demoted to the control room in the first place.
"After he returned, he continued with similar tactics. In this case, he registered the FIR, 3-4 days after the incident and by what we know, he instigated the women to maliciously add section 354B (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe). Moreover, he beat up the two men using his belt at the police station – which is not the right way to go about," said the senior official.
Another senior IPS official, talking on the condition of anonymity, said, "The nature of defaults will be found out during the departmental inquiry and based on it, our conclusion about who is wrong and what is the truth will be figured out. Like usual cases, a judicial investigation will be conducted by gathering evidence, and eyewitnesses and by recording witnesses of everyone involved."
