A senior police inspector in Pune has been transferred to the Special Branch after a video allegedly showed three minor detainees tied to the bonnet of a police vehicle and paraded in public. The incident, linked to a July 20 murder case, triggered a State Human Rights Commission probe. Officials are examining CCTV footage.
A senior police inspector in Pune has been transferred to the Special Branch following a controversy over the alleged public parade of three minor detainees. Mansingh Patil, senior inspector of Bharatiya Vidyapeeth Police Station, was transferred days after a video showing the alleged incident went viral on social media. The video reportedly shows the minors being tied to the bonnet of a police vehicle and taken through a public area. The incident has raised serious questions over how the detained boys were treated and whether proper rules relating to juveniles were followed.
Minors detained after July 20 murder
The three boys had been detained in connection with the killing of a 17-year-old boy on the night of July 20. According to police, as quoted by the Times of India report the boys and the deceased had been rivals for several months. Police said the three minors allegedly planned the attack and later spotted the teenager near Katraj Lake.
They allegedly assaulted him with sharp weapons, resulting in his death. Police have also said that the deceased had several cases registered against him and had allegedly been harassing the three boys.
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The three detained boys and the deceased were reportedly school dropouts.
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Video triggers controversy
The controversy began after footage of the alleged parade was shared widely online.
The video reportedly showed the three minors tied to the bonnet of a police vehicle. A woman believed to be the mother of the deceased was also seen allegedly beating the boys.
The footage led to questions about whether the minors' identities had been exposed and whether their treatment was in line with child protection laws.
The matter subsequently came under the scrutiny of the State Human Rights Commission.
Human Rights Commission begins probe
Officials from the State Human Rights Commission reached the Bharati Vidyapeeth police station on Wednesday to begin their inquiry.
A team headed by an Inspector General was constituted following directions from the High Court.
The SHRC team travelled from Mumbai to Pune and examined CCTV footage from cameras installed in the area, according to officials involved in the inquiry.
The team has also recorded statements from police personnel, particularly those involved in detaining the boys and bringing them to the police station.
Investigators are now trying to establish who ordered the alleged parade and who instructed police personnel to tie the minors to the vehicle.
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Police inspector's transfer
Amid the controversy, senior police inspector Mansingh Patil was transferred from Bharati Vidyapeeth Police Station to the Special Branch.
The transfer comes as the inquiry into the alleged treatment of the minors continues.
The State Human Rights Commission had earlier issued notices to the Pune Police Commissioner, the concerned Deputy Commissioner of Police and the senior inspector, seeking reports on the incident.
The transfer does not by itself establish wrongdoing, and the inquiry is expected to determine individual responsibility. The human rights inquiry is expected to focus on several questions surrounding the incident. Officials will examine CCTV footage and statements from police personnel to establish the sequence of events after the minors were detained.
They will also try to determine whether the boys were actually tied to the police vehicle, who gave the alleged instructions and why the minors were taken through a public area.
The disclosure of their identities and the alleged treatment of the boys are also likely to remain key concerns during the investigation.
Further action is expected once the commission completes its inquiry and submits its findings.
