Police Official in Bhandara Booked for Alleged Sexual Harassment

A Sub Divisional Police Officer in Bhandara, Maharashtra, has been charged with sexual harassment. The complaint was lodged by a woman from the Scheduled Caste category, who accused the officer of demanding sexual favors while discussing her case. The police have registered an FIR and initiated an inquiry.

A police official in Bhandara, Maharashtra, has been booked for allegedly sexually harassing a woman under the pretense of helping her with a case, a senior official reported on Saturday.

The case against Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Ashok Bagul was filed at the Bhandara City police station following a complaint by the woman. Superintendent of Police Lohit Matani confirmed the registration of the case.

According to the police, the woman, a resident of Lakhani tehsil and belonging to the Scheduled Caste category, was in a relationship with a young man during her engineering studies in Nagpur. After the man refused to marry her, she attempted suicide and decided to seek help from SDPO Bagul. He allegedly demanded sexual favors during their meeting on June 1. Under pressure, she sought assistance from a social worker, who escalated the matter to SP Matani. Subsequently, an FIR was registered against SDPO Bagul under IPC sections 354(A) and 509, and police inspector Subhash Barse is leading the inquiry.