Mumbai: After the gross mishandling of the sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case of Beed, the Devendra Fadnavis government has come in for flak again for it failure to arrest all the accused involved in the harassment of the minor daughter of Union minister for sports and youth affairs and BJP leader Raksha Khadse.

On February 28, Khadse's daughter had gone to the annual Sant Muktai jatra or fair at Muktainagar in Jalgaon district along with her friends. Raksha Khadse was in Gujarat on that day on official work. The girls were stalked, eve teased and their videos taken by a gang of seven men. Even the presence of a policeman deputed by the minister did not deter the men. In fact, the gang manhandled the policeman.

The following day when her daughter complained to her about the shocking incident, Khadse personally went to Muktainagar police station and lodged a complaint. After that four men, including one Aniket Ghui, were arrested. Apparently the gang has been stalking and harrassing girls going to their schools and complaints to the police were not acted upon. Some of the accused allegedly have criminal antecedents.

What is shocking is that even after two weeks of the incident, three of the accused are still absconding. Incidentally, Krishna Andhale, the prime accused in the Santosh Deshmukh murder is still absconding. "If the daughters of Union Ministers are not safe, what can be said about the safety of ordinary women in Maharashtra? This question was raised by Rohini Khadse, a leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) and sister-in-law of Raksha Khadse. Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar had earlier slammed the Fadnavis government for its failure to ensure the safety of women. Rohini Khadse alleged that the accused had political backing. This view was shared by Raksha Khadse as well.

"The police no longer have control over criminals, which is why the latter have no fear of law. The government seems indifferent and inactive when it comes to women’s safety, and I feel that it is completely neglecting this issue. Therefore, it is crucial to implement strict laws for the protection of women. Instead of just making big promises, the government must focus on ensuring the safety of its 'ladki' sisters," Rohini Khadse observed.

Since the local police were not responding to her complaint, Raksha Khadse called on Fadnavis, who handles the home portfolio, and drew his attention to the shocking incident. "There is heavy interference by politicians in matters of postings and transfers of police officials because of which these officers are loyal to their political godfathers and not to their uniform," a former police officer observed. "Huge monies change hands during the postings and transfers," he added.