Maharashtra: PUCL Fact-Finding Report Exposes Brutal Police Atrocities in Parbhani, Leading to Custodial Death
Pune, 19th February 2025: A fact-finding team comprising members from People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) Maharashtra and other rights activists has exposed shocking police atrocities in Parbhani, which led to the custodial death of 35-year-old Somnath Suryavanshi and widespread human rights violations against the Dalit community. The team visited the city on January 11 and 12, nearly a month after violent police action followed the desecration of a Constitution replica on December 10, 2024.
According to the report, the police launched illegal combing operations, brutalized men, women, and children, and used caste-based abuses while detaining innocent Dalit residents. Despite multiple complaints, no FIR has been filed against the police officials responsible. The city remains on edge, and on January 17, 2025, affected individuals and activists launched a ‘Long March from Parbhani to Mumbai’ to demand justice.
Background: Constitution Desecration and Police Inaction
The situation in Parbhani had been tense since December 6, 2024, when a peace committee meeting discussed a stone-throwing incident in Gaurakshak Mohalla. During this meeting, BJP leaders demanded the demolition of a mosque near the bus stand, claiming it was illegal.
Four days later, on December 10, the Sakal Hindu Samaj, known for its history of inciting communal tensions, led a morcha with 5,000 participants. During this rally, Sopanrao Dattaram Pawar desecrated a replica of the Constitution near the Dr. Ambedkar statue. He was handed over to the police by concerned citizens. However, instead of conducting a proper investigation, the police dismissed the incident, claiming Pawar was mentally unstable.
Outraged by this blatant disregard for justice, Dalit and progressive organizations called for a peaceful ‘Parbhani Bandh’ on December 11. The protest remained non-violent until 1 PM, when a mob of 100-150 unidentified individuals began vandalizing shops, vehicles, and public property. However, instead of arresting the rioters, the police launched a targeted crackdown on Dalit neighborhoods, initiating a wave of state-sponsored violence.
Unprecedented Police Brutality in Dalit Residential Areas
According to PUCL’s report, after 4 PM on December 11, the police forcefully entered Dalit homes, broke doors and windows, and mercilessly assaulted residents, including women and children. Victims recounted severe beatings in police custody, torture in rooms without CCTV surveillance, and caste-based abuse.
Somnath Suryavanshi (35), a resident of Bhosari in Pune was on a visit to Parbhani to appear for his final-year law examination, was among those brutally beaten. He later succumbed to his injuries on January 16 while in judicial custody. His custodial death triggered further unrest, leading to the death of respected Dalit leader Vijay Wakode, who passed away due to stress following Suryavanshi’s funeral.
The PUCL report further exposes horrifying details of the police operation:
- Dalits were targeted based on their appearance, with individuals wearing blue tilaks, ‘Jai Bhim’ tattoos, or blue scarves singled out for arrest and beatings.
- Women and children were detained overnight, assaulted, and denied legal protection.
- Injured detainees were stripped to their undergarments, left without bedding in the cold, and denied medical attention.
- Severely injured victims were dumped outside police stations without documentation to erase evidence of police brutality.
Denial of Medical Treatment and Cover-Up of Custodial Death
The PUCL report criticizes the police for deliberately denying medical care to injured detainees, which led to Somanath Suryavanshi’s preventable death. The report highlights:
- No medical check-up was conducted before transferring Suryavanshi to judicial custody.
- Police refused to provide treatment to those severely beaten, instead dumping them outside police stations.
- Several injured individuals were not officially registered as accused, allowing police to escape responsibility.
Despite overwhelming evidence, police have refused to register FIRs against officers responsible for the violence. Instead, only cases related to property damage and the assault on Sopanrao Pawar have been promptly registered.
Failure of Police and Administration
The fact-finding report underscores multiple administrative and police failures that exacerbated the crisis:
- Negligence in handling tensions:
- Despite the existing communal tension, police allowed the Sakal Hindu Samaj rally, violating Supreme Court guidelines.
- No action was taken against the desecration of the Constitution replica.
- Mishandling of the Bandh violence:
- Police failed to arrest the actual rioters and instead targeted Dalit localities.
- Torture continued even after peace was restored.
- Judicial Commission with No Real Power:
- The State Government has set up a Judicial Committee, headed by retired judge V.L. Achalia, to investigate the incident.
- However, PUCL expressed skepticism, stating that such committees lack binding authority, delaying justice indefinitely.
PUCL’s Recommendations for Justice
The PUCL report demands immediate and concrete action to ensure justice for the victims:
- Financial compensation for all survivors of police violence.
- Government jobs and financial aid for Somanath Suryavanshi’s family.
- Immediate preservation of all CCTV footage from police stations, jails, and administrative offices.
- Filing of FIRs against police officers involved in the illegal combing operations, under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
- Immediate suspension of officers responsible for torture and custodial death.
- A High Court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine:
- The circumstances of the illegal police combing operations.
- Police brutality in residential areas and police stations.
- Failure to provide medical care to detainees.
- Judicial failures leading to Suryavanshi’s custodial death.
- The desecration of the Constitution replica.
Call for Justice: The Long March from Parbhani to Mumbai
In response to the continued impunity of the police and administration, activists and victims’ families launched the ‘Long March from Parbhani to Mumbai’ on January 17. The march aims to mobilize public pressure on the Maharashtra government to take action against the perpetrators.
PUCL and civil rights groups have urged citizens to stand in solidarity with the Dalit community of Parbhani and ensure that police brutality and caste-based atrocities do not go unpunished.
Submitted by the PUCL Fact-Finding Team
- Milind Champaneker, General Secretary, PUCL Pune Unit
- Keshav Waghmare, Writer, PUCL Pune
- Assunta Pardhe, Advocate, Pune
- Sandhya Gokhale, Social Worker, PUCL Mumbai
- Rishika Agarwal, Advocate, Mumbai
- Devyani Kulkarni, Advocate, Mumbai
- Hasina Khan, PUCL Mumbai
