Beed DSP faces probe for casteist remarks

A red-faced Maharashtra government has asked Beed Suprintendent of Police Shreedhar Govindrajan to order an inquiry against his deputy, DSP Bhagyashree Navtake, who was caught on camera making communal remarks. Govindrajan has ordered an inquiry.

In the clip that is recorded on phone, Navtake is heard telling Maratha community men that she beats up Scheduled Caste people who come to her to lodge complaints against upper caste atrocities under the Atrocities Act. “I tie the hands and legs of Dalits and take my anger on them,” she is allegedly heard in the clip. Another person in the video is also heard saying that the IPS officer has filed cases under Section 307 of the IPC of attempt to murder against Muslims so that they don’t get bail easily.

Navtake is also allegedly heard saying that when she was posted in Pimpri recently, she did not arrest Marathas accused of caste atrocities for three days, and instead asked the Marathas to file a false case against the Dalits. The IPS officer is also heard advising the Marathas to file a case under Section 122 of the IPC, which is an offence to bear arms without a licence. Many Dalit organisations have demanded action against the officer who identifies herself as a Maratha.