IPS Officer Jalinder Supekar Transferred To Home Guards Dept Amid Accusations Of Misusing Power In Hagawane Case
IPS Officer Jalinder Supekar Transferred To Home Guards Dept Amid Accusations Of Misusing Power In Hagawane Case
Mumbai: The Maharashtra home department on Friday transferred Jalinder Supekar, special inspector-general of police (jail headquarters), to the post of deputy commandant-general, Home Guards, Mumbai. The move comes amid serious allegations linking Supekar to attempts at shielding the accused in the high-profile Vaishnavi Hagawane dowry harassment and suicide case.
A day earlier, the state government had relieved Supekar of his additional charge as deputy inspector-general for the Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Nagpur divisions within the jail department. Supekar’s original posting was IG (headquarters) of the prisons department.
Supekar is related to the case through family ties—he is the uncle of Vaishnavi’s husband, Shashank. Vaishnavi, daughter-in-law of expelled NCP leader Rajendra Hagawane, died by suicide on May 16 at her marital home in Pimpri-Chinchwad. Her family has alleged she was subjected to dowry-related harassment. Rajendra Hagawane and his son Sushil have both been arrested in the case.
The controversy intensified after social activist Anjali Damania lodged a complaint with the state home department. Acting on it, additional chief secretary Radhika Rastogi directed Suhas Warke, additional director general (jails), to conduct an inquiry and submit a report.
Damania also alleged that Supekar had used his influence to help the Hagawane family obtain arms licences and had similarly assisted Nilesh Chavan—a friend of the accused—despite an existing case against him. “This must be fully investigated,” she said.
She further questioned how Supekar was given additional charge of prisons despite his alleged involvement in a scam related to ration and supply purchases for jails in Maharashtra.
