Pune: A Pune police constable was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly filming the wife of another police officer, who resides in his neighbourhood, while she was bathing.
According to the 33-year-old woman, the constable, Samir Patel, and some of his kin had also tried to restrain her from taking his cell phone, on which the video was allegedly shot, to the police by resorting to intimidation.
The woman lodged an FIR against Patel and he was duly arrested on molestation charges. He was later granted bail by a sessions court. The complainant, who stays in a police colony, said she was taking bath on Monday morning when she happened to see Patel filming her through the window.
She immediately informed her husband about the situation, and he got hold of the phone and proceeded to head towards the police station. However, the accused’s wife, brother and mother-in-law allegedly tried to assault the complainant and her husband and attempted to retrieve the cell phone.
Dayanand Dhome, police inspector, Chatushrungi police station, said, “We have taken the cell phone with which he allegedly recorded the video and are probing the matter. There had been no such complaints against him till now.”
He added, “We have booked him under Indian Penal Code sections 354 A for molestation, 341 for wrongful restraint, 323 for voluntary causing hurt, 504 for intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace, 506 for criminal intimidation, and 34 for acts done with common intention.”
Patel’s wife, brother and mother-in-law were also booked in the case. The Pune police commissioner will begin an inquiry and will decide the action to be taken against the constable, who — as of now — has not been suspended. Patel refused to comment on the charges levelled against him.
