The Maharashtra Police have booked an official and a peon of the Central Bank of India for allegedly seeking sexual favours from the wife of a Dalit farmer, who had applied for a farm loan from the bank in Buldhana district.
Rajesh Hivase, an official in the Datala branch, and the peon have been booked under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code and various sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
FIR against peon
“We received a complaint on Thursday, and we registered an FIR on Friday. The farmer and his wife submitted a loan application to the bank one month ago. Mr. Hivase was trying to get in touch with the farmer’s wife before processing the application. The peon was asked to deliver the message to the woman. There were some phone conversations between the woman and Mr. Hivase, in which he sought sexual favours to process the loan,” Buldhana district Additional Superintendent of Police Sandip Doifode said.
The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana staged a protest in front of the bank branch on Saturday, demanding Mr. Hivase’s immediate dismissal and arrest. “We will not allow the bank to function till it sacks Mr. Hivase. He called the farmer’s wife and asked for sexual favours to process the loan request. This is disgusting and highly condemnable,” Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader Ravinkant Tupkar said.
Accused at large
The Buldhana police have sent a special team to Wardha district, Mr. Hivase’s native place.
“Both the accused are absconding but we hope to arrest them soon. A sub-divisional police official has been given responsibility of this case,” Mr. Doifode said.
PTI adds:
A shame, says Ashok Chavan
Congress leader Ashok Chavan said the Buldhana episode was a “shame” and a “blot” on a progressive State like Maharashtra. The government should try the case in a fast-track court and punish the guilty as quickly as possible, he said in Mumbai.