3 women allege harassment by cops during missing person's probe in Pune; police denies claim
Pune (PTI): Three women living in Pune have alleged that police personnel physically harassed them and made casteist remarks during a probe related to a woman, reported missing from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, who stayed with them briefly.
Following the allegations, political parties, including the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), have demanded action against the concerned officers and personnel from the Kothrud police station.
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar accompanied the three women and a few activists to the Pune Police Commissionerate on Sunday night, and met Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Ranjan Kumar Sharma and sought registration of an offence against the police personnel under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The Pune police have, however, refuted the claims made by the three women.
According to activists, personnel from the Kothrud and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar police stations barged into the rented accommodation of the three women on Friday while investigating a missing person's complaint regarding a woman who had stayed with them.
One of the activists alleged that the police conducted the search without a warrant and took the trio to the police station.
"The police team, including a woman officer, allegedly assaulted the women and made casteist remarks, including some with sexual overtones. They were released after several hours," she said.
The three women later approached the police station, seeking an offence against the police personnel involved.
Speaking to the media, Pawar on Sunday said, "A woman from Marathwada came to Pune to fight for justice in a family matter and stayed with her friend in Kothrud. The police conducted an inquiry without a warrant and made casteist remarks during the process."
"Strict action must be taken against the police officers involved. Both the young woman's case and the incident of casteist remarks are serious issues. Despite the nature of these allegations, the police have not registered a complaint. This reflects negligence on the part of the police administration," he added.
Meanwhile, the police have denied all allegations made by the three women.
"A preliminary investigation suggests that the allegations are not substantiated. Hence, a case under the relevant sections of the Atrocities Act cannot be made out," stated a letter issued by Kothrud police station to the women.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Kangana Ranaut sparks row: Claims Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem
New Delhi: A significant political controversy has erupted following the Modi government's decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a move that has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. The row was further fueled by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who, while defending the name change, erroneously claimed that Mahatma Gandhi had made the devotional song "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram" India’s national anthem.
The central government has rebranded the flagship rural employment scheme from MGNREGA to the "Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission," abbreviated as VB-G RAM G. The removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme has been termed an insult to the Father of the Nation by the Congress and other opposition parties.
When questioned by the media outside Parliament regarding the opposition's allegations, Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut defended the government's decision by invoking Mahatma Gandhi's devotion to Lord Ram.
"How is naming it 'Ram Ji' an insult to Gandhi ji?" Ranaut asked. "Mahatma Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem to organize the entire country. Therefore, this is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi? The government is fulfilling his dream by giving it the name of Ram."
Ranaut's claim regarding the national anthem was immediately seized upon by the opposition. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate shared the video of Ranaut’s statement on social media, tweeting sarcastically, "Come on brother, today we learned a new national anthem! The BJP is full of such gems."
Social media users also trolled the MP for the factual error. One user quipped, "Kangana ji forgot to mention that Bapu made this the national anthem after the country got independence in 2014," while another commented that the party finds people who "don't use their brains while forwarding WhatsApp messages."
Beyond the social media mockery, senior Congress leaders criticised the renaming on ideological grounds. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the move.
"The biggest irony is that Mahatma Gandhi was a lifelong devotee of Lord Ram and said 'Hey Ram' in his last moments," Gehlot wrote. "Today, the central government is making a despicable attempt to sideline Gandhi ji under the guise of the same 'Ram' name (VB-G RAM G), which is highly condemnable."
मनरेगा का नाम बदलने की केंद्र सरकार की कवायद महात्मा गांधी के प्रति उनकी ओछी मानसिकता और असम्मान का प्रमाण है। सरकार पहले 'पूज्य बापू' के नाम का शिगूफा छोड़ती है और फजीहत होने पर अब 'विकसित भारत-गारंटी फॉर रोजगार एंड आजीविका मिशन (VB-G RAM G)' जैसा नाम थोपना चाहती है। बार-बार नाम…
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) December 15, 2025
गांधी जी ने ‘रघुपति राघव राजा राम’ को लेकर नेशनल एंथम बनाया था
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) December 16, 2025
BJP MP कंगना रनौत
चलो भाई आज नया नेशनल एंथम भी पता चला है!
BJP में एक से एक शिरोमणि भरे पड़े हैं 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/9DvyV5xLb1
