A 30-year-old Indian Police Service (IPS) officer has been charged with rape in Nagpur, Maharashtra, for allegedly assaulting a 28-year-old woman doctor under the false promise of marriage, officials said on Sunday, April 13.

The case was registered on Saturday at Imamwada Police Station following the woman’s complaint, and an investigation is underway.

The complainant, a doctor pursuing her MBBS at the time, met the accused through Instagram in November 2022, when he was preparing for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams. Their online interactions evolved into phone calls, fostering a friendship, PTI reported.

According to police, the officer promised to marry her, leading to a physical relationship. However, after securing his IPS selection, he began avoiding her and refused to honor the marriage commitment. The woman, distressed by his family’s lack of response, approached the police, prompting the rape case.

Authorities are probing the allegations, with the officer’s conduct under scrutiny, raising questions about accountability within the elite service.

In a separate incident, Vishal Gawli, a 35-year-old man accused of raping and murdering a 12-year-old girl in Kalyan, Thane district, in December 2024, was found dead in Taloja Central Jail, Navi Mumbai, early Sunday. Kharghar police reported that Gawli allegedly hanged himself with a towel in the prison toilet around 3:30 a.m. Prison staff discovered his body, and a spot inspection was conducted.

The body was sent to JJ Hospital in Mumbai for a postmortem to confirm the cause of death. Gawli’s suicide has shocked authorities, who are now reviewing prison safety protocols. The two cases, though unrelated, highlight the gravity of sexual violence issues in Maharashtra, with police under pressure to deliver justice and address systemic concerns.

In a strongly worded intervention, the Calcutta High Court on Saturday directed the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in Murshidabad and other violence-hit districts of West Bengal, following widespread unrest over the Waqf (Amendment) Act. The court said that constitutional courts “cannot be a mute spectator” when citizen safety is at risk, and observed that the situation in parts of the state is grave and volatile.

The order comes after protests spiraled into violence across Murshidabad, Malda, Hooghly, and South 24 Parganas, resulting in the deaths of three people, the burning of vehicles, and stone-pelting at security forces.

“We cannot turn a blind eye,” says High Court

The special bench comprising Justices Soumen Sen and Raja Basu Chowdhury, constituted to hear a petition filed by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, said that the deployment of central forces was necessary as state measures were inadequate and delayed.

“We cannot turn a blind eye to the various reports that have surfaced which prima facie show vandalism in few districts of the state of West Bengal,” the bench observed. “The situation is grave and volatile… action against the culprits must be taken on a war footing.”

The court also directed that both the state and central governments submit detailed reports on the developments. The next hearing has been scheduled for April 17.

Mamata Banerjee: “We will not implement the Waqf Amendment Act”

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in a public address, declared that her government will not implement the Waqf (Amendment) Act, and questioned the purpose of the ongoing unrest.

“We have made our position clear — we do not support this law. This law will not be implemented in our state. So what is the riot about?” she asked in a social media post, blaming the central government for introducing the legislation.

She further warned against the politicisation of religion and promised legal action against anyone attempting to incite violence under the guise of protest.

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose welcomed the court’s decision to bring in CAPF, stating that the judiciary’s timely intervention was necessary. In a video message, he said, “I am glad that the Calcutta High Court stepped in and gave the appropriate decision in appropriate time.”

Meanwhile, Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar cautioned protestors that the police would not tolerate disruptions to law and order. The state police remain on alert as central forces coordinate deployment in sensitive areas.

West Bengal Police arrested 12 additional individuals on Sunday in connection with the violent protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Act in Murshidabad, bringing the total arrests to 150. The clashes, which claimed three lives, have subsided, with no fresh incidents reported, as security forces maintain a tight vigil across the Muslim-majority district.

A senior police officer stated, “The situation in Suti, Dhulian, Samserganj, and Jangipur is now peaceful. Overnight raids led to 12 more arrests, and our investigation continues, with further detentions expected.” Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) remain in place, alongside an internet suspension in affected areas. Security personnel are conducting vehicle checks and patrolling sensitive zones to prevent any resurgence of unrest.

The protests, sparked by the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, turned violent on Friday, with mobs torching vehicles, including police vans, hurling stones at security forces, and blocking roads across Murshidabad and other parts of the state. Minor flare-ups persisted into Saturday. The violence left 18 policemen injured.

Tragically, two deaths were reported in Jafrabad, Samserganj, where Harogobindo Das and his son Chandan Das were found stabbed to death in their home on Saturday. Another victim, 21-year-old Ijaz Momin, succumbed to bullet wounds sustained during clashes at Sajur More in Suti on Friday.

On Saturday, April 12, the Calcutta High Court took decisive action, directing the immediate deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in the Murshidabad district to tackle violent protests sparked by the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. The ruling came during an emergency hearing prompted by a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Suvendu Adhikari, the state’s Leader of Opposition and a BJP leader, who urged central intervention to restore peace in the volatile, Muslim-majority region near the Bangladesh border.

A special bench, led by Justices Soumen Sen and Raja Basu Chowdhury under Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam’s guidance, lambasted the state government for its failure to control the unrest. “Courts cannot stand by while people’s lives and safety are at risk,” the justices declared, lamenting that earlier central force deployment might have prevented the escalation. The court extended its order, allowing CAPF deployment in other districts if similar disturbances erupt, but stressed that these forces must collaborate with local authorities to stabilize the situation.

The court further instructed both the West Bengal government and the Union government to submit comprehensive reports detailing the violence, setting April 17, 2025, as the date for the next hearing. The directive follows a grim toll: three fatalities, including a father and son stabbed to death in Samserganj and a 21-year-old shot in Suti, alongside over 150 arrests, torched vehicles, and 18 injured policemen since clashes began on April 8.

Dismissing the state’s assertion that order had been restored, the bench pointed to ongoing “chaos and destruction” not only in Murshidabad but also in South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, and Hooghly, describing the situation as “deeply troubling.” The court also brushed aside claims that the PIL was politically driven, prioritizing the urgent need to protect citizens over procedural objections.