Rape-accused cop’s wife arrested for suicide bid

PUNE: The Hadapsar police on Friday arrested a 33-year-old woman, wife of an assistant inspector booked in a rape case, for attempting to end her life on Thursday.

The woman — in front of witnesses outside the police station — attempted self-immolation by pouring diesel on herself, as police refused to lodge a complaint of rape against a traffic constable after they ascertained that the allegation was baseless.

The police subdued her and took her to the hospital. She was taken into custody after she was discharged. She was arrested under IPC Section 309. The woman was produced before the Pune cantonment court and sent to magisterial custody. She was later released on bail.

A statement issued by senior inspector Sunil Tambe of the Hadapsar police said the woman’s husband was posted as an assistant inspector with the Bharati Vidyapeeth police. He has been on the run since February 2 after a woman registered an FIR, alleging rape by him.

His wife, to mount pressure on the Hadapsar police, had recently filed a complaint application, claiming that she was raped by a traffic constable at her home and demanded that an FIR be registered against him.

An inquiry revealed that the constable in question was the brother of the rape survivor, Tambe’s statement read. The constable had not visited the residence of the officer’s wife on the dates mentioned in her complaint.

“The security guard posted at the police officer’s building and eyewitnesses have told police that the constable had not visited her residence. One witness later told police that the officer and his wife had pressurised him to record a false statement,” the statement read.