Khairlanji: Probe says district cops at fault

The slackness in police action leading to delayed arrest of the accused in the Siddharth Gajbhiye assault case and the instant release of all accused for lack of application of Atrocities Act in the case eventually led to emboldening of the accused who subsequently committed the murders with impunity, the IG is said to have noted in his report. Gupta, sources further said, has also come down heavily upon the “casual” post-murder investigations by the officers and their men.

The story began with the assault of Siddharth Gajbhiye, Bhotmange family’s supporter, from the neighbouring Dhusala village, on September 3, near Khairlanji. The wireless message of the incident reached the Andhalgaon police station on September 5 from the police at Kamptee, where Gajbhiye was admitted in a hospital. Bharne simply wrote “495” on the note prepared by Shahare who received the message. It was supposed to mean that Meshram (buckle no 495) would investigate the matter. The probe report observes that no effort was made by the police station to send Meshram to Kamptee and find out with Gajbhiye what the matter was.

Due to delay in receiving medical report from the hospital treating Gajbhiye, the Kamptee police could send the papers to Andhalgaon only on September 13. Bharne informed Tumsar SDPO Susatkar, who asked him to apply sections of rioting and hurting and take the opinion of senior public prosecutor on the Atrocities Act application, when no such opinion-seeking is necessary under the rules and immediate application of the Act was possible. Bharne registered the offences permitted by SDPO on September 16, three days after receiving papers from Kamptee.

Strangely, Bharne decided to follow his own mind and move assistant public prosecutor Leena Gajbhiye from the neighbouring Mohadi tehsil town instead of a senior public prosecutor. Gajbhiye gave the opinion that Atrocities Act can’t be applied as there were discrepancies in the statements of Gajbhiye and Surekha Bhotmange who had testified for him in the alleged assault and caste abuse by 12 Khairlanji villagers. But she advised application of the PCR Act, despite the fact that the matter didn’t concern untouchability. Gupta, it is said, has commented in his report that her’s was too lenient and technical a view of the Atrocities Act.

Sources said, the IG has noted that Bharne and Susatkar went about verifying Siddharth Gajbhiye’s caste. All this involved a long time. The message from Kamptee police was received on September 5 a report from APP Leena Gajbhiye was received on September 25. And the actual action by the police happened a good four days after that — on September 29, when the 12 culprits in the assault case were arrested and produced before a JMFC court in Mohadi. The court granted bail and remanded them to magisterial custody, but ordered their release on furnishing of sureties.

After their release, they searched for Siddharth at the Kandri village and on not finding him there, returned to Khairlanji, held a brief meeting in front of the Panchayat and decided to teach Bhotmanges a lesson for testifying in the case. The same evening, a crowd of over 40 villagers killed Surekha Bhotmange, sons Sudhir, Roshan and daughter Prinyanka, while head of the family Bhaiyyalal fled the spot.

PSO Bharme showed no urgency to act in view of the reports that there was tension in Kandri village during the day on September 29. He also didn’t sense tension in Khairlanji following complaint on September 22 by Siddharth’s brother Rajendra that one Rupchand Khandate and two others were asking Siddharth why he had lodged a complaint against them.

In the probe, the IG is understood to have noted that the Andhalgaon police made no immediate or serious attempt to know what happened. Meshram returned without locating Bhotmanges despite knowing an assault had taken place. The PSO made no attempt himself to locate the Bhotmanges.