Cops molest woman colleague

Mumbai, April 13: The Vinoba Bhave Nagar police in Kurla are yet again in the news for alleged molestation of a woman, this time, one of their colleagues, who is on probation. A police inspector and a constable have been suspended after a woman sub-inspector lodged a complaint of molestation and outraging her modesty.

Last year, a sub-inspector from the same police station, Manoj Londe, was arrested on charges of rape after he had physical relations with an airline employee after promising to marry her. Londe was later transferred to Gadchiroli.

On Thursday, Mumbai police commissioner Arup Patnaik suspended inspector Dilip Mangaonkar and his orderly, Ashok Bhalekar, for misbehaving with their colleague and making lewd gestures at her, the Vinoba Bhave Nagar police registered offences under sections 454, 509 and 451 of the IPC for outraging the modesty of a woman, molestation and trespassing. The officials said they were likely to register another case against Mangaonkar and Bhalekar, booking them for harassing a woman at work place.

The victim stays at the Nehru Nagar police quarters. In November last year, Mangaonkar, who had been chasing the victim for a while, visited her house when he allegedly touched her inappropriately.

"He came to my place and when I opened the door, he touched my hair. He said I looked like Isha Koppikar as well as another model and forcibly put his hand around my waist. The orderly, Bhalekar, who works under Mangoankar, too misbehaved with me," the victim stated in her complaint.

Lauding the courage of the victim, a police officer said, "It's great that a probationary officer dared to lodge a complaint."

A senior officer said the DCP (Zone V) would conduct a departmental inquiry. If the charges were proved, Mangaonkar might be demoted and increments stopped, besides criminal proceedings being initiated against him, he said.