Cop who failed to book 'drunk' constable for 'molesting' IIT-Bombay student suspended

NAVI MUMBAI: Police commissioner Milind Bharambe has suspended a police sub-inspector attached to the Sanpada police station for not filing an FIR against a 'drunk' constable accused of molesting a 19-year-old woman, an IIT-B student, on Palm Beach road on December 30.
Accused constable Deepak Rathod (30) was later arrested after which PSI Abhay Kadam was suspended.
On December 30, the woman had come to her friend's house in Sanpada. Around 3.15am, she and her male friend were taking a stroll along the service road of the Palm beach road when Rathod, who was on night patrolling duty, stopped them and asked why they were out late in the night. He asked the woman's male friend for his number which he refused to share. Rathod then asked the woman to ride pillion on his bike and head to the police station, but she refused to go alone with him. While her male friend was reasoning with Rathod, the constable touched the teen inappropriately.
Bharat Kamath, senior inspector of Sanpada police station said Rathod was allegedly under the influence of alcohol while on night duty on the Palm Beach road. After the alleged molestation, the victim and her male friend went to Sanpada police station to lodge a complaint, where PSI Abhay Kadam was on duty.
"The student and her friend later registered an FIR at Powai police station where the accused constable was booked under IPC section 354 for outraging the modesty of a woman. Since the incident occurred on the Palm Beach road under Sanpada police station jurisdiction, the zero case was transferred from Powai to Sanpada police station. Subsequently, the accused constable was arrested and the Vashi JMFC court remanded him to police custody till January 2," said Kamath.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)