Abuse of Power
‘Transfer Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar Immediately,’ Retired IAS Officer Urges Maharashtra Human Rights Commission
Arun Bhatia’s letter highlights systemic corruption and misconduct by police officials and senior doctors, calling for urgent intervention to restore public trust.
Pune: Following the tragic Porsche crash in Pune, retired IAS officer Arun Bhatia has written a compelling letter to the Maharashtra Human Rights Commission (MHRC), demanding the immediate transfer of Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, IPS. The crash, which occurred on May 19, claimed the lives of two IT professionals and has since unveiled a disturbing narrative of police corruption and administrative malpractice.
In his letter, Bhatia emphasized the “vulgar, primitive and frightening exhibition of police corruption and dirt at the top level administration” involved in manipulating evidence to protect the driver responsible for the fatal incident. “I invoke your intervention in this case because it has jolted us, increased our insecurity and shown us the terrifying face of our governance and democracy. Corrupt officials and harassed citizens are now a part of every-day life,” he wrote to the MHRC chairman.
Highlighting the widespread and institutionalized nature of corruption, Bhatia remarked, “Since we have ignored this, the corruption is now pervasive, unsparing and institutionalized. It is not just one official who is evil; the entire officialdom is so. When this union of officials happens and departments combine, they become impregnable. The isolated citizen has no chance against this adversary.”
The retired bureaucrat detailed a series of shocking lapses by the police and medical professionals in handling the case. He pointed out that the blood sample for testing alcohol consumption was delayed by the police for more than six hours, during which the suspect was fed pizza in the police station. Subsequently, the blood sample was allegedly destroyed and replaced by doctors, and witness statements were deliberately delayed.
“The basic and standard norms of investigation were discarded, and time was made available to the culprits to concoct a defense,” Bhatia stated, underscoring the systematic failures in the investigation process.
According to Bhatia, the police commissioner, an IPS officer, dismissed the delays in blood testing as a “procedural lapse.” Media reports also indicated that despite the absence of political pressure to protect the doctors, two politicians had visited the police station, further complicating the case.
“I request the Human Rights Commission to take special note of the fact that unless senior officials are made accountable for the misdeeds of their subordinates, the government departments will not improve. That subordinates collect bribe money for higher officials is common knowledge,” he asserted in his letter.
Bhatia urged for an impartial investigation into the police commissioner’s conduct, advocating for his immediate transfer out of Pune to facilitate an unbiased probe. He also called for an investigation into the appointment of the Chief Medical Officer at Sassoon Hospital, who allegedly colluded with the police to tamper with evidence.
The tragic incident involved a 17-year-old minor driving the Porsche, who has been sent to an observation home. His father, realtor Vishal Agarwal, and grandfather, Surendra Agarwal, were arrested for allegedly kidnapping the family’s driver and coercing him to take the blame for the crash.
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