A woman police constable was allegedly assaulted by a female volunteer of the Lalbaughcha Raja Mandal late on Monday afternoon. While the policewoman has filed a complaint, the Kalachowkie police is yet to register a case. Police sources said they will make arrests in the case after the idol immersion on Wednesday.
According to the account given by constable Kavita Palekar (22), she was managing crowds inside the mandal since morning when the incident took place. “She has said that the accused Priyanka Dhuri was helping acquaintances and friends to enter the mandal by breaking the queue which led to an argument. Ms Palekar pointed out that this was unfair to other devotees who had been standing in the queue for hours on end and were yet to even enter the mandal. She asked her to quit sneaking in her friends when the argument erupted,” said an officer from Kalachowkie police station.
Ms Dhuri then allegedly began manhandling Ms Palekar and eventually slapped and rained a few blows on her. The constable’s colleagues and other volunteers broke up the fight and they reached the Kalachowkie police station where she filed a written complaint. She is attached to the Tardeo police station. PSI Sheetal Madi of Kalachowkie police station said, “We have taken their statements and are examining the CCTV footage before registering any case.” Ms Palekar’s father Govind, while briefly speaking to mediapersons said he had warned her about the hooliganism of Ganesh mandal volunteers in the Parel area.
In a related development, around 50 women members of the Desh Bhakti Sangathan protested outside the Lalbaugcha Raja Mandal against their volunteers inappropriately touching women while managing crowds. Avisha Kulkarni, a protester said, “The police should immediately arrest the molesters and stop this hooliganism by the volunteers.” A regional news channel had aired footage of a male volunteer manhandling and nappropriately touching female devotees.