Maharashtra: IFS officer Mane stripped of Sangli DyCF’s charge

NAGPUR: An IFS officer, who is deputy conservator of forests (DyCF), and was booked for allegedly sexually abusing a woman range forest officer (RFO), was stripped of charge on Friday.
The order, dated May 12, withdrawing the officer’s charge, was issued by PCCF (HoFF) YLP Rao. Now Ajit Sajne, assistant conservator of forest (ACF) with the social forestry department (SFD), Sangli, has been asked to take over one-sided charge as territorial DyCF.
The PCCF order states that the decision has been taken following a report submitted by M Ramanujam, CCF (Kolhapur). However, forest officials say the order issued by the HoFF doesn’t state where the officer will continue to work. “If the officer stays in Sangli itself, he will continue to influence the staff in case of an inquiry,” they said.
Meanwhile, the matter of the officer’s bail plea hearing was put off till May 17 after the petitioner sought time to file an affidavit.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)