Cop suspended for failing to act after ABVP, BJYM members throw ink, damage board at Pune university

Pune: A policeman of sub-inspector rank was suspended after he failed to act when members BJYM and ABVP threw ink and damaged a notice board at the Lalit Kala Kendra on the premises of Savitribai Phule Pune University here, an official said on Sunday.

The policeman was deployed on the university campus in the wake of a scuffle between ABVP activists and students of the Lalit Kala Kendra (LKK) over a play on Friday evening.

On a complaint by the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a professor and five students were arrested on Saturday for allegedly hurting religious sentiments by staging the play concerning 'Ramleela' that reportedly had objectionable dialogues and scenes.

On Saturday evening, some members of ABVP and BJP-linked Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) entered the premises of LKK raising slogans and damaged a notice board and threw ink on it, the official said.

While PSI Sachin Gandekar, attached to the Chaturshringi police station, was deployed there, he did nothing to control the situation, the senior police official said.

“Being a responsible officer, he should have acted. However, he neither called for help nor alerted the seniors. This amounts to dereliction of duty. The said officer has been suspended for his act,” said the official.

The play by the LKK, officially called the Centre for Performing Arts, was based on the backstage banter of actors who perform various roles in 'Ramleela'.

As per the first information report (FIR) against the professor and students, in the play, a male artiste portraying Sita was shown smoking a cigarette and using abusive language The FIR stated that when members of the ABVP took objection to the play and stopped the performance, the artistes heckled and assaulted them.