Maharashtra cops force girls to strip, dance in Jalgaon

In a shocking incident in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, some police personnel and others forced girls to strip and dance at government-run Ashadeep Women’s Hostel. A local NGO had filed a complaint to the District Collector on 2 March.

The Women and Child Welfare Department runs the hostel. The department provides shelter and food to the destitute, oppressed women and girls at the hostel in Ganesh Colony.

The Government of Maharashtra has initiated a probe, asking a four-member committee to submit its report in two days.

At the Jalgaon hostel, policemen allegedly made girls strip and dance. State home minister Anil Deshmukh said action would be taken against the guilty in the next two days, once the probe report was submitted.

BJP MLA Shweta Mahale raised the issue during the Zero Hour in the state assembly said the girls had complained that people from outside and policemen were allowed to enter the facility on the pretext of a probe. The MLA alleged that some girls who refused to join the investigation were forced to strip and dance.

The Maharashtra assembly witnessed pandemonium after BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar raised the issue during the debate. He demanded president’s rule in the state on the grounds of failure of law and order. Mungantiwar said the state and home minister were not serious about the shameful treatment given to women in Maharashtra.

Deshmukh said a probe committee of four, including a psychiatrist and woman police officer, has been constituted and action would be taken against the guilty in two days. “We have been collating the information and the available documentary evidence, including video clips. Statements are being recorded. Strict action would be taken against them found guilty after the report was submitted in next two days,” he said.

Leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis said there was enough evidence to take quick action against the culprits — as the video clips were in the public domain. He said there was nothing wrong in demanding president’s rule for failure of governance in the state.