Pune: While the image of the Maharashtra police got dented as details of the Sangli custodial death emerged, a heart warming gesture by a lady police officer could go a long way in rehabilitating the force’s tarnished reputation.
Sujata Patil, currently serving as the Deputy Superintendent of Police of Hingoli district, has decided to provide for the welfare and help fund the education of Pranjal Kothale, 3, the daughter of Aniket Kothale 26, who died last month after being interrogated by the Sangli city police.
“My decision [to look after Aniket Kothale’s daughter] is purely a humanitarian gesture and less a conscious attempt to remedy the tarnished reputation of the police… I’ll certainly be happy if this helps in presenting a positive image of the police… I have already spoken to the Kothale family in this regard and they have agreed,” Ms. Patil told The Hindu .
Ms. Patil, who hails from Kolhapur, submitted a formal application to Vishwas Nangre-Patil, Inspector -General of Police (IGP), Kolhapur range on November 16 in which she said that she would accept Pranjal Kothale’s guardianship, while providing for the girl’s education from her own salary.
Aniket Kothale, along with his friend Amol Bhandare, was sent to the custody of the Sangli police on November 6 for allegedly robbing an engineer. He was allegedly administered the third degree torture by sub-inspector Yuvaraj Kamte of the Sangli city police, and died.
The CID probe unravelled horrifying details of Kothale’s ordeal as Kamte and his fellow policemen hung him upside down, stripped him and beat him relentlessly till the rope securing the victim snapped and he fell head first into a bucket of water. The police along with five members of his staff, later tried to burn Kothale’s body in a bid to destroy evidence.
Kothale’s family has alleged that Aniket was framed by sub-inspector Yuvaraj Kamte for exposing a racket the later was allegedly running. The Maharashtra government last month transferred the Sangli District Superintendent of Police Dattatrey Shinde and Dr. Dipali Kale, the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Sangli City). Kamte and five of his staff were arrested and remanded to police custody on November 8. Seven more policemen were suspended on November 11. in connection to the case. Later last month, Kamte and the five accused were sent to Kolhapur’s Kalamba jail.
