Female suspect escapes from Hadapsar police station, policeman suspended

Pune: A female suspect, arrested for stealing jewellery from devotees during a Palkhi procession, escaped from Hadapsar Police Station.

As a result, policewoman Tarabai Ganpat Khandekar was suspended. This is the second incident in 15 days since the suspect escaped from Hadapsar police station custody.

Dhurapata Ashok Bhosale (31, resident of Takala, Silod, Nanded) was arrested on Tuesday, July 2, for stealing jewellery from devotees taking part in the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhi procession.

On Wednesday, July 3, Bhosale managed to escape from police custody. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 5) R. Raja decided to suspend police constable Tarabai Ganpat Khandekar for dereliction of duty and negligence in the case.

The suspect, Dhurapata Bhosale, was caught red-handed stealing jewellery and brought to Hadapsar police station. The responsibility of her protection was given to constable Khandekar.

However, while Khandekar was busy with other tasks, the suspect managed to escape from the police station. Despite extensive searches and review of CCTV footage, Bhosale was not found.

Failure to properly secure an arrested suspect led to accusations of irresponsibility and negligence against police officer Khandekar. The incident tarnished the image of the police, leading to Khandekar’s suspension from government service, the official suspension order said.

In June 2024, a theft suspect managed to escape from Hadapsar police station custody, prompting a massive police search. The suspect, identified as Govind alias Pintya Ghodke, was in police custody in connection with the theft case.

The incident occurred when Ghodke was taken out of custody to be fingerprinted. Taking advantage of the opportunity when the police were not paying attention, Ghodke fled the building. The police immediately set up checkpoints and collected CCTV footage from the area. Ghodke was arrested within 24 hours.