An FIR has been registered against an assistant police inspector (API) in the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Azad Maidan Police, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including rape. The officer is alleged to have forcibly established a physical relationship with a woman, by taking an obscene snap of her and threatening to make it viral.
What the FIR says
According to information received from Azad Maidan Police, a 40-year-old woman went with her husband to the anti-extortion cell of the Mumbai Crime Branch for some work. During this time, she was introduced to API Vishwas Patil, who was posted there at that time. Patil obtained her number and after that, began to send her messages on WhatsApp and call her on the pretext of some work or the other.
One day, he reportedly called the woman to meet him near Dadar for some work. When she went to meet him, Patil told her there was some work related to the matter for which her husband and she had approached the police and that a constable would be arriving with a file.
After they had waited for some time, Patil told the woman that she should go and wait in an office in the nearby building, till the constable arrived. He allegedly took the woman to a house, where he gave her a cold drink. She began to feel dizzy afterwards and wanted to leave but Patil slapped her several times and forced himself on her.
A police officer said that according to the womans statement, Patil had shot a photo of the woman, which he threatened to make viral if she were to tell anyone about what had transpired. After this episode, on the pretext of promising to delete the photo, Patil raped the woman several times.
Finally, when the woman refused to meet him, he told her that he worked in the anti-extortion cell and if the woman did not listen to him, an encounter could take place. Even after the victim lodged a complaint with the police, he continued to threaten and stalk her.
FIR registered against Vishwas Patil
A police officer said that on the complaint of the woman, an FIR has been registered against Vishwas Patil under sections 376 (2) (N), 377, 323, 504, 506, 509, 354 (D) of the Indian Penal Code and IT Act 66 (E) and an investigation has begun. A police officer informed that in this case, an FIR has been registered at Azad Maidan Police Station and it has been transferred to Shivaji Park Police Station for further investigation.
The victims advocate, Ghanshyam Mishra, said police immediately registered the FIR when his client approached the Azad Maidan Police station with her grievance. We thank the police for their prompt response and expect that the safety of the victim and her family shall be ensured as the offence is serious in nature and involves a police officer, he said.
