Pune: Five persons were arrested by the Dattawadi police for assaulting a woman police constable inside the police station premises. The accused allegedly slapped and pushed to the ground Police Constable Swapnali Limgude when the on-duty official tried to prevent them from creating a ruckus over a separate complaint filed against the accused.
The accused have been identified as Shalon Bhalshankar (50), Archana Bhalshankar (20), Sarika Shinde (19), Sonali Kamble (19) and Santosh Shinde (22). According to the police, the accused, who resided in a house in Ambilwadi, were creating a ruckus at the police station after a complaint was registered against them by their relative and neighbour Jayshree Bhosle.
“The accused came to the police station after they learnt that a complaint has been registered against them and threatened police officials saying how dare we register a complaint against them. At this point, a constable tried to intervene and told them to maintain decorum. But instead of listening to her, they charged at her and she was slapped and pushed to the ground,” said MD Salve, Police Sub Inspector at Dattawadi police station and the investigating officer in the case.
Salve said more than a dozen complaints have been filed against the accused by their neighbours in the past year. The neighbours have alleged that they used to keep picking up fights in the area and harassing them. “We are going to take down statements of the neighbours as well,” added Salve.
Bhosle had said in her complaint filed on Saturday morning that the five persons had manhandled and abused her.
All five accused have been booked under Sections 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his/her duty), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860.
