Constable supports colleague ‘molested’ by jailer

A constable in Thane jail has revealed to the police that he witnessed Thane jail superintendent Hiralal Jadhav molesting the woman constable who had registered a complaint against the senior officer. While recording statements of six constables, it came to light that a male constable, whom the complainant had confided in, decided to watch over her and followed her to the area where Jadhav had allegedly asked her to meet him. Sources said the male constable saw Jadhav trying to hold the complainant’s hand.

On the night of August 31, the woman constable registered a complaint with Thane police against Jadhav, claiming that he was sending her WhatsApp messages and audio clips. The complainant said that though she asked him not to, Jadhav persisted in sending her poetry and even pictures expressing his feelings for her. he also allegedly asked her to meet him outside the workplace. A case under charges of molestation has been registered under relevant sections of the IPC in Thane police station.

An officer close to the investigation said, “The constable used to get messages from Jadhav. On the day he asked her to meet him outside work premises, the girl told one of her colleagues about it. Jadhav had called her near Kalwa Bridge. The male constable said in his statement that after the woman constable told him about her meeting with Jadhav, he went there to keep an eye on Jadhav so that she did not face any problems. From a distance, he observed that Jadhav was holding her hand and trying to drag her inside a car.”