A day after she was booked for alleged impersonation following a complaint from IMD scientist Medha Vinayak Khole, Nirmala Dattatraya Yadav (60) on Friday refuted the allegations, saying she never hid her caste or marital status. Khole had accused Yadav of pretending to be a married Brahmin woman to secure the job of a cook during religious events at her house in Pune. Yadav, a widow, also filed a cross-complaint against Khole.
Accordingly, police have lodged a non-cognizable offence against Khole. Speaking to The Indian Express, Yadav said, “Khole came to my house on September 6. She yelled at me and accused me of hiding my caste. She said that because of me, her God had been desecrated. She used harsh words and hit me… After policemen came to my house, Khole shouted at me in front of them…”
Khole had alleged that Yadav had claimed her surname was Kulkarni, and that she was a Brahmin and a ‘suvasini’ (woman whose husband is alive), after which they entrusted her with cooking during rituals in 2016 and 2017. Yadav claimed she never contacted Khole for work. “It was Khole who came looking for me. I told her my name was Nirmala Yadav. Without making inquiries about my caste and marital status, she offered me the job. I cooked for them during three rituals… She has not paid me till now,” Yadav alleged.
Assistant Police Inspector Jyoti Gadkari said they were probing the offence lodged by Yadav. Khole was not available for comment. Anand Dave of Akhil Bhartiya Brahman Mahasangh, who initially supported the FIR lodged by Khole, issued a statement saying Khole should take her complaint back. Sambhaji Brigade also stated that the incident was in violation of the Constitution.
Representatives of Raje Shivrai Pratishthan, Lokshahi Jagar Manch, Abhinav Nimran Pratishthan, Shivsamarth Pratishthan, as well as activists of Hindutva organisations including VHP, Bajrang Dal, Samasta Hindu Aghadi and Hindu Mahasabha held a meeting with Yadav and demanded that Khole submit an apology. The NCP women’s wing staged protests near Khole’s residence.
