Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday ordered a high-level inquiry into an alleged incident of assault on farmer by police personnel.
Mr. Fadnavis, however, blamed the farmer, Rameshwar Haribhau Bhusare from Aurangabad district, for biting a security guard at Mantralaya. Bhusare had come to Mantralaya on Thursday, seeking compensation for crops damaged due to hailstorm.
On Friday afternoon, high drama was witnessed at the Marine Drive police station where senior leaders from Opposition parties had reached to meet the farmer.
When former deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar asked about the case, police officials reportedly informed him that the farmer was produced at court. After Mr. Pawar called Bhusare on his mobile phone, he discovered that he was kept in a room at the Marine drive police station and was allegedly beaten by police officials.
Leaders of the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) slammed police officers for providing them wrong information and also sought an explanation about the Thursday’s incident.
Leader of Opposition, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, said, “This is the height of authoritarian behaviour from the government, which forced the police department to lie to the leaders of opposition. Such things have never happened in the State before.”
A senior police officer said an inquiry would be conducted into the allegations made against the Marine Drive police and appropriate action would be taken subsequently.
