Deepak Ramdas Sonawane (26), a youth from the Mahar community from Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), has made several complaints to the Police in the district regarding the facing alleged torture at the hands of his girlfriend and her family. Deepak has alleged that since 2017, he has been in love with S Shaikh, and after he refused to convert to Shaikh’s religion, he started receiving threats and was tortured by her family.
Deepak has accused the local Member of Parliament from Sambhajinagar, Imtiaz Jaleel, has sided with the accused, and allegedly Deepak was thrashed near Jaleel’s house, and the MP didn’t help him. When I contacted Jaleel seeking his comment, he said, “Main Bakwaas Cheezon pe comment Nahi Karta,” (I do not comment on baseless issues.).In August, Deepak claims he wrote a complaint to the Commissioner of Police about his ordeal. A letter he submitted to Police also has severe allegations against the MP. Deepak has made a serious accusation against the girl and her family; while talking to the Organiser, Deepak said, “I have approached the Police and written to them greatly, but yet the FIR hasn’t been registered. I am being tortured and have even been exploited financially. Also, I was abused using casteist remarks, and my khatna was carried out without my consent to convert me.”According to Deepak, several cases under sections 354 (outraging the modesty of a woman) and 376 (rape) of IPC have been registered against him by Shaikh to harass and torture him. Deepak claims that the Police are shying away from filing an FIR and taking any action because of political pressure.
Deepak has accused one of their uncles of Shaikh being close to the MP; hence, the Police haven’t registered the FIR. The organiser contacted Ashok Giri, Police Inspector of City Chowk and Aurangabad and asked him about the complaint that Deepak submitted at his Police Station. Giri said, “We have received the complaint from Deepak, and we are investigating to the allegations made by him. Also Deepak already has several complaints registered under sections like 354 and 376 against him and was in jail for the same. Deepak has approached the commissioner of Police too in this regard.”
