The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of the State Intelligence Department, Pune has been booked for alleged sexual harassment of a 31-year-old widow.
The FIR registered at Bharati Vidyapeeth Police Station against DCP Nilesh Ashok Ashtekar was based on a complaint filed by a woman from Kalwa, Thane. The woman alleged that the police officer had demanded sexual favours to recruit her nephew in the police department.
According to the complaint, DCP Ashtekar had contacted her via Facebook Messenger and introduced himself as an IPS officer asking if she wanted to join the police. When the victim discussed her nephew preparing for police recruitment, Ashtekar asked for her mobile number offering to help in getting a police job.
The widow has alleged that the police officer started demanding sexual favours through WhatsApp messages and video calls and even made nude video calls between 19th February and 1st March of this year. She filed a complaint and FIR for allegedly outraging modesty and IT Acts was registered on Tuesday.
Confirming the FIR, the Bharati Vidyapeeth police station house duty officer said investigations were in progress under the supervision of ACP Narayan Shirgaonkar. Senior Pune police officials suspect the young DCP was lured and trapped for blackmailing but the victim had denied the allegation stating that she was in touch with Ashtekar only for her nephew to get a job in the police.
She has made specific mention in her complaint about WhatsApp calls made by Ashtekar on February 27, 2023 at 10.56 pm and 11.03 pm in which the police officer in nude asked her to undress. She has further alleged that the DCP sent obscene messages and URLs of vulgar videos. Again on March 1, 2023, Ashtekar made a WhatsApp call making vulgar comments and asking to send her daughter to meet him.