Maharashtra State Women's Commission has written a letter to Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria, demanding suspension of senior IPS officer Sunil Paraskar, who is accused of raping and molesting a model-turned-actress. "We feel that to ensure a free and a fair investigation, either Paraskar should step aside voluntarily while the investigation is going on and if not, he should be suspended pending completion of the investigation," Susieben Shah, Chairperson of Maharashtra State Women's Commission, today said in her letter.
The 57-year-old Deputy Inspector General (Protection of Civil Rights Units) is at present posted at Maharashtra Police Headquarters here.
It is "necessary" to ensure that the investigation is carried out without fear or favour, especially when serious charges are made against a senior police officer, she said. The police should ascertain the authenticity of the claim made by the officer's lawyer regarding a lie-detector test from a government hospital, she further said. "Yesterday morning I read a news report wherein Paraskar's lawyer stated that he cannot take a lie-detector test as he has undergone a bypass surgery. I checked with a leading cardiologist in Mumbai and he was of the opinion that Paraskar does not face any health hazard for taking a lie detector test," Shah said. "I request you to take an opinion from a leading cardiologist attached to a government hospital to ascertain the authenticity of the claim of the lawyer," she said.
Shah also urged Maria to submit a status report to the Commission on the investigation by the end of the week. The 25-year-old model had lodged a complaint against Paraskar on July 23 and accused him of raping and molesting her between November 2013 and March 2014 when he was posted as the Additional Commissioner of Police (North Region) with the Mumbai police.
Following a complaint by the model, Paraskar was booked under IPC sections 376(2)(rape by a police officer), 376 C (intercourse by superintendent of jail, remand home, etc) and 354 (D) (stalking).
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