Times of India: Pune: Thursday, February 26, 2015.
Former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday said his government had transferred former Pune police commissioner Gulabrao Pol because he was accused of conducting a seance, a paranormal activity in which the spirits of the dead are supposedly called, to find killers of anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar.
Hamid, son of Narendra Dabholkar, has asked the state government to register an offence against Pol under the Maharashtra Anti-superstition and Black Magic Act 2013.
Pol's lawyer Harshad Nimbalkar issued a statement immediately stating that his client was given a clean-chit by the committee formed by the government to probe the matter.
Pol refused to make a statement when asked for a comment on Pawar's allegation.
Pawar told the media that 19 police teams were formed to nab Dabholkar's killers.
"It was found that senior police officers themselves were using superstitious methods like planchette to nab the killers. The government disapproved of this action and therefore transferred the police commissioner,'' Pawar said.
"By transferring Pol we wanted to send a message that we strongly disapprove of superstition and black magic, against which Dabholkar fought all his life," Pawar added.
Speaking to TOI, Hamid Dabholkar said Pawar's statement after such a long time is surprising. "It only shows the government was insensitive through out the investigation," he said.
Expecting immediate action from BJP-Shiv Sena government, Hamid said, "Now this government should file cases against Pol and the other person, Manish Tiwari, who allegedly conducted the seance. The government should take action and arrest them under the Maharashtra Anti-superstition and Black Magic Act. We had filed complaint against Pol and Tiwari way back; however no action has been taken yet."
Hamid also criticized the present government for its failure to find the killers of veteran communist leader Govind Pansare.
Prakash More, another of Pol's lawyer from Kolhapur, told TOI that Pawar may be unaware of the report given by the committee formed to investigate the charges against Pol. "The committee in its report submitted on August 28, 2014 stated that no such activities were performed to investigate Dabholkar murder case," said More.
"Following a complaint filed by members of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS) on July 11, 2014 against Pol stating that he used seance to investigate Dabholkar murder case, the state government formed a committee under B D Mishra, additional DGP (Civil Rights Protection) to investigate the charges. The committee investigated the allegations and within 45 days submitted a report to the state government giving clean cheat to Pol. We have received the complete report submitted to the state government on February 3, 2015 through RTI," said More.
"Pol was transferred from Pune to Thane on March 4, 2014. He left the charge in Pune on March 5 and by the time he had applied for VRS which was granted on April," added More.
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