A police constable has been temporarily transferred a day after he refused to hand over a Muslim youngster in police custody to a BJP youth wing leader in Madhya Pradesh’s Seoni district. The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader was part of the ‘gunda’ list of the police station where the constable was posted.
Seoni resident Ayaan Khan had been accused of an objectionable social media post and was detained at the Kotwali police station following a complaint by a BJYM member on August 20. Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader Mayoor Dubey arrived at the station around 10 pm with five other men, demanded that the accused be handed over to them, and when constable Dhanraj Warkhede opposed him, started bragging about his political connections.
Videos reviewed by Newslaundry showed Dubey inside the Kotwali police station, asking the police to hand over Khan, and bragging about his political position. In a Facebook live the same day, Dubey said the police had mistreated him despite being a state-level office-bearer of the BJYM, and that the Kotwali police acts in a similar manner when anyone tries to point to “misdeeds” of Muslims.
▪️On August 20, Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha leader Mayur Dubey asked the police to release a Muslim accused of hurting religious sentiments in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh, from police custody and hand him over..
— Adil Reyaz (@AdilReyaz) August 28, 2024
▪️ pic.twitter.com/s7Nnt1Fl9P
BJP Yuva Morcha leader Mayur Dubey asked the police to hand over a Muslim accused of hurting religious sentiments in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh, to be taken out of police custody. When the police refused, Dubey tried to intimidate them by showing his political influence. pic.twitter.com/uOPGUzKsth
— Anant Kale (@Aantk) August 28, 2024
The next day, Dubey called on the Hindu community on social media to gather at the Kotwali police station, claiming that SHO Satish Tiwari was providing protection to Muslims and warning that those who did not join the protest would be unable to ensure the safety of their daughters.
It was on this day that 38-year-old Dhanraj Warkhede was given a line-attachment notice. Police officials said it was done to tackle the accusation that police were acting with bias in the case involving the Muslim man.
SHO Satish Tiwari said, “As police officers, we cannot hand over the custody of an arrestee based on the demands of political leaders. Mayoor Dubey is a known troublemaker and has been listed in the police station’s ‘gunda’ list. Despite this, he has previously caused disturbances within the police station. It is unfortunate that Warkhede has been line-attached, but this action is intended to ensure that the investigation is conducted impartially.”
Gunda list is a record of history-sheeters within the jurisdiction of the police station.
Seoni SP Sunil Mehta said, “The constable in question has been line-attached in accordance with administrative procedures. An inquiry is currently underway, and it is clear that no one has the right to demand custody of an accused from the police. If our investigation finds that the BJYM leader was at fault, we will take appropriate action against him.”
‘He said he was targeted because he is Brahmin’
Warkhede said that Dubey “began boasting about his status as a state-level office bearer of the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha and questioned how we could argue with him. He even asked if we were targeting him because he is a Brahmin. I responded, pointing out that he was making these remarks while I am a tribal. His arrogance was palpable, and his demand for us to hand over the accused was completely unjustified. I wondered what might have happened if we had handed over the Muslim youth, whether he might have been assaulted or worse.”
“What shocked me further was that the next day, when I returned to the Kotwali police station, I was informed that I had been line-attached. I have filed a complaint about this with my senior officials. What deeply hurts me is that I am being punished simply for doing my duty and refusing to hand over the custody of a Muslim boy to a leader affiliated with the governing party…as a leader of the BJYM, he seems to think he is above the law and the constitution. If they can exert such pressure on police officers, what does that say about the safety of the general public in this state?”
Reached for comment, Mayoor Dubey said, “Ayaan Khan made an objectionable comment about Sanatan Dharma in relation to the Kolkata rape case, which is why we filed a complaint and ensured his arrest. On August 20, I received information that the police were planning to release him. I went to the police station to verify his status. I requested to see him to confirm whether he had been released or was still in custody. The situation escalated into an argument with the police.”
Newslaundry also reached out to BJYM national president Tejasvi Surya and state president Vaibhav Pawar for comment. This report will be updated if a response is received.
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