Darshan Dugad, a 2021 batch IPS officer of Maharshtra cadre, has been booked for allegedly raping a young doctor.
As per the complaint, the IPS officer form Yavatmal, currently posted as sub divisional police officer in Nandurbar district, allegedly lured the young girl into a relationship through Instagram.
Following the FIR filed at Imamwada Police Station in Nagpur, the accused officer, has reportedly gone absconding.
From Instagram friendship to abuse
The complaint states that the victim, then an MBBS student, got connected with Darshan on Instagram in November 2022.
Their online friendship gradually turned romantic. During his period of unemployment, she supported him financially and even paid for his mother's medical bills.
Darshan allegedly took her to Kerala on the pretext of a vacation, where he forced himself on her in a hotel room. A similar incident occurred later at a hotel in Nagpur.
Allegedly broken promises after becoming IPS
After being selected as an IPS officer through the UPSC exam, Darshan was sent for training in Hyderabad. The survivor met him there, where he allegedly continued to exploit her. When she insisted on marriage, he not only refused but also subjected her to caste-based abuse and physical assault.
Darshan absconding, police on a look out
After enduring two years of physical, emotional, and mental trauma, the woman finally approached the Imamwada Police Station. A case has been registered under sections related to rape, cheating, assault, and caste-based abuse. Police teams are currently on the lookout for the absconding officer.
The BuckStopper, run by a group of seasoned journalists, holds the powerful accountable. The buck stops with them, as they cannot shrug off their official responsibilities.
