The Opposition BJP found itself in an embarrassing situation in the Maharashtra Assembly on Thursday, as State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh called its bluff and said that there was no truth in its allegation that women were stripped and made to ‘dance naked’ by policemen at a women’s hostel in Jalgaon district in north Maharashtra.
A day after he ordered an inquiry into the allegation to this effect made by BJP MLA from Chikhli Shweta Mahale, Deshmukh informed the State Assembly that a team of senior women police had looked into the incident and found that there was no truth in the allegation.
“The incident was investigated by 6 women officers... There are 17 women inmates at the hostel Statements of 41 witnesses were recorded. The entry register of the hostel was scrutinized. It is found that there is no truth in the allegations. No male police official was present. It is a women’s hostel and policemen are not permitted inside,” Deshmukh said.
The minister said that the woman who had made a complaint in connection with the incident was “mentally unstable”.
"Her husband and other family members have complained about her mental condition. On February 20, an entertainment programme was organised for the inmates, at which no male police official was present. The programme included poetry recital, singing and dance,” Deshmukh said.
"During the ‘garba’ dance, one woman had discarded her long ‘ghaghra’ as she was feeling uncomfortable,” the minister said.
State Women & Child Development Minister Yashomati Thakur and Water Supply Minister Gulabrao Patil said that “no such incident” ever took place at the at the State-run Ashadeep Women’s Hostel in Ganeshnagar area of Jalgaon.
Hitting out at the BJP for making “baseless” allegations, Thakur said: “Because of such allegations, destitute women leave the hostel only to face a lot of problems from the society. We must be very careful before making such serious charges”.
Patil, who is the district Guardian Minister of Jalgaon, said that had spoken to both the district collector and Superintendent of Police, who had confirmed that no such incident had taken place at the women’s hostel.
Maharashtra Congress President and senior MLA Nana Patole lamented that the incident -- as alleged by the BJP – had tarnished the image of the state. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that whenever such serious allegations are made, the members should verify if they were true..
Raising the issue in the State Assembly on Wednesday, BJP MLA Shweta Mahale had alleged the women inmates who did not cooperate with the police were told to remove their clothes and “dance naked”
“The women in the hostel now live in fear. They must be made to feel secure. The incident is a blot on the face of the state. The police who are supposed to protect have become aggressors,” Mahale had said.
Joining Mahale in attacking the state government on the issue, leader of the Opposition Devendra Fadnavis on the issue had said: “This is a shameful incident. A video clip shows police making the girls in the nude. This must be thoroughly investigated. We must deal with this matter sensitively”.
Taking cognisance of the Opposition’s charge, Deshmukh ordered an inquiry into the incident and said that an inquiry report would be tabled in the House within 24 hours.
“This is a very unfortunate incident. We have appointed a four-member committee to probe the incident and asked it to submit its report within 48 hours. Necessary action will be taken as per the rules after the probe report is received,” the minister had said on Wednesday.
